Lucy Bloom

Vintage Jumble

2011-08-12T11:25:00.000+01:00

Join us for a fun day out at the 2nd V&H Vintage Jumble on Saturday 13th August 2011 at the Rangeworthy Village Hall, Wotton Rd, Rangeworthy, BS37 7LZ

10.30am - 2.00pm

Some of your favourite dealers (and me!) will be having a clear out & offering vintage goodies at bargain prices.

China, glass, textiles, toys, books, ephemera & much more....something for everyone.
Free admission.
Teas will be served by the Rangeworthy WI.

http://www.vintageandhandmade.co.uk/

Vintage Summer Boutique

2011-06-13T21:39:00.000+01:00

For various reasons my blog has had to be put on the back boiler for a while, but I wanted to tell you about an exciting event I'll be taking part in this weekend. You may be familiar with Ali's blog - Tales of Betty and Violet. I've met Ali a number of time at fairs we have attended, and was delighted when Ali invited me to participate in her Summer Boutique.

This is an open house sale at Ali's home, being held this Friday and Saturday, 17th & 18th June. Ali has invited a number of makers and sellers to participate, and of course there will be tea, cakes and the whole vintage works.

Pop over to Ali's blog for more information and an invite. Fingers crossed for sunshine and it should be a fabulous day.

Most of my stock is packed away, but these are a few things that I'll be taking along. Hope you can come and join us!

I haven't stopped blogging!

2011-03-23T21:53:00.000Z

...I just haven't blogged for a while. I thought I'd better pop in and let you know, before you all give up on me. The pics are of my latest painting project, these word plaques have been around for a while, I bought a blank a while ago thinking it might be fun to paint.

I wasn't sure what I was going to paint on it - the design kind of evolved as I went along. The Union Jack was a real fiddle to do, but now it's finished I'm pleased with the result.

It brightens up a plain bit of wall in the kitchen, it will hang higher up on the wall eventually, I just haven't got round to fixing it up yet.

I'm busy getting ready for the fairs I'm doing in a few weeks time:

Vintage and Handmade Spring Fair - 9th April 2011

Vintage Bazaar - 30th April 2011

Bingham Hall Flea Market - 2nd May

Vintage at the Village Hall - 9th May 2011

I may be doing some smaller local fairs too - details to come once these are confirmed. That's all for now, must ease myself back in gently!

2011-01-13T21:01:00.000Z

Hello and a rather late Happy New Year to you all. Nothing new going on around here hence no post for a while. Thank goodness the Christmas leftovers are finished now, ate the last of the surplus stuffing balls and Christmas pudding yesterday, a bit past their sell-by but nothing untoward happened.

It's lovely to have the break, but I always find the period between Christmas and New Year a bit strange, I feel obliged not to do anything much but feel a bit guilty at the same time. And though I wasn't looking forward to going back to work it's good to get back into a routine and regain some focus and more importantly give my digestive system a rest.

One post-Christmas ritual I have is to buy a few Christmas decorations in the sales. Our local garden centre always has a lovely selection, I went a bit OTT this time (above, multiply by 3). I think next year this ritual will have to cease, I now have so many Christmas decorations it took me 3 days to sort and pack them all away!

I did receive some lovely gifts this year, pot stand and religious picture from my sweet vintage-fair-buddy Jayne. If you have been to any of the fairs I sell at you might have met Jayne, she's the happy smiley one. I usually look miserable, not that I am (mostly), just have that kind of a face.

Mr. Bloom surprised me with a red Roberts Revival radio - I hadn't even hinted and had no idea. Also some craft and vintage fashion books - these I did know about as I chose them myself.

From another friend, these candle cups with a mercury glass effect....and....a subscription to Home and Antiques magazine - how lucky was I!

A few items of stock I've picked up this week - some plates, hanky, old tile and a sparkly necklace. The coloured-handle knives are probably my favourite find.

Folded up inside the knife box I found a bonus - knitting patterns for these cute hats. Not having a hat-shaped head I don't think I'll be making these for myself but the pics are great - love those eyebrows!

I'm glad it's nearly the weekend, it's been a bit of a shock to the system getting back to normal. I'm checking out a potential new selling venue, nice and local, about 2 minutes up the road. Fingers crossed!

2010-12-23T00:25:00.000Z

Despite knowing that it was coming for the past year, Christmas has snook up on me again and here I am wishing it wasn't quite so close! Still, I've managed to make the house look festive and mostly I am ready.

Mr. Bloom will do the last of the food shopping tomorrow and collect the turkey - ha! rather him than me - serves him right for finishing work today while I don't finish until Friday.

Really, I'm most looking forward to the extended break after Christmas, I intend to spend at least one day being a couch potato with a few good DVD's and Christmas leftovers.

I was fiddling around with my camera settings and my pictures have come out rather 'warm'. Maybe I should also spend some time learning how to use it properly!

Anyway, wishing you all a Very Merry Christmas, thank you for visiting and following throughout the year, see you in 2011!

Lovely things

2010-12-14T14:33:00.000Z

I feel I should be starting to put out my Christmas decorations, in fact I would love to be doing that but I am still dealing with the aftermath of the Fairs (the ongoing 'not enough house' problem). At the rate I'm going I might just have time to think about decorating by Christmas Eve!

As promised, some pictures of my purchases at the fairs. First two pics are a divine lavender sachet, tags and crumpled ribbon, from Shirley at Simply-Chateaux. In fact most of the things I bought were from Shirley, her stall was just divine, makes my mouth water just to think about it.

Above, lovely pink fringing bought from Leonore at the Vintage and Handmade fair, plus a pretty quilted blue cushion just seen in the top right corner.

French books and Ephemera from Shirley.

This fairy doll just epitomises vintage Christmas for me, I bought her at the Vintage and Handmade fair, sorry but I don't know who from, I was doing my usual rushing back to my stall at the time.

I'm so glad these lovelies are mine - otherwise I'd be very envious (hee hee!). Back to the grind, hope to have some Christmas piccies soon!

Two Glorious Days (and a feast of loveliness)

2010-12-03T17:04:00.000Z

If you read my last post you'll know where I was last weekend - two glorious days at two glorious events. Not even the freezing weather could put a damper on them, I had such a wonderful time. Of course, it's hard work too, and for me a little stressful until the doors open, but I'd do it all again in an instant (and hopefully I will next year!).

In case you didn't read my last post,

Day 1: Sunday 28th November,The Vintage and Handmade Fair, Chipping Sodbury.

From small beginnings the Vintage and Handmade fair has gone from strength to strength with an amazing 40 beautiful stalls this time. Once again Jayne and Michele organised a fantastic day with hoards of customers and even some carol singers to entertain us this time. Thank you ladies!

The "setting up" frenzy

This time I managed to get set up with some time to spare and managed to snap a few photos of the other stalls. I just need to learn how to used my camera properly, as most of the pics of my stall came out blurred.

A feast of loveliness - some of the other stalls

Day Two: Monday 29th November, Vintage at the Village Hall, Pamhill, Dorset

My stall:
(normally my lamps are lit, but the electric meter ran out. Not a problem usually, but see that white cupboard on the wall to the left of the pic, the one blocked by one of my shelves? That was the electric meter!!!)

If you have read other blogs on this event you will know that very few photographs were taken. I myself have the following excuses:

1. I was late getting there (driving in the dark and cold are not my favourite) and by the time I had set up and done a bit of shopping it was opening time.

2. During a rare lull I got my camera out and started with my own stall, the lull ended unexpectedly and I got no further.

So, all I have are a few pictures of my stall. I would much rather have shown you the other lovely stalls, I guess I'll just have to go again next time and be more organised. (I am hoping very much there will be a next time!)

When Elaine invited me to attend this fair I was thrilled to bits. I wasn't sure what to expect with it being the first one and on a Monday, but Elaine should be congratulated for such a fantastic job of promoting the event. Customers filled the hall all day long and at times there was barely room to move. There was a lovely festive atmosphere and the quality of the stalls was first class. Thank you Elaine!

A few pictures of the fair can be found here on Lizzie's blog and on the Vintage at the Village Hall blog.

And of course to all the lovely customers who support these events, a huge thank you too!

Here's a peek at some of my shopping - more next time...

Bloom in Frome

2010-11-08T23:27:00.000Z

I am probably the last to post about the wonderful Vintage Bazaar in Frome, sometimes it takes a while but I do get round to things eventually.

What can I say, it was everything I could have hoped for and more. The stallholders put on magnificent displays, the crowds kept coming and the atmosphere was amazing.

I thought I had forgotten my camera, but towards the end of the day I found it so I snapped a few shots of my stall between customers.

Many more (much better) pictures to be found on the Vintage Bazaar blog. Thank you to everyone who bought from me and the compliments about my stall. My lovely friend Jayne deserves a mention - I couldn't have done it without your help!

Lizzie and Clare are to be commended for creating such a exceptional and unforgettable day - I've already signed up for the next one in April!

On my return home I put my feet up and indulged in a little crafty relaxation - this ballerina figurine had lost her skirt somewhere in her lifetime, so I gave her a new one from ribbon and lace. I had some pretty floral braid from which I cut tiny flowers to make a hat and corsage, together with a couple of sparkly beads.

I have two more fairs to prepare for now, guess I'll be back in December!

Sunday 28th November : Vintage and Handmade Christmas Fair

Monday 29th November: Vintage at the Village Hall

In the Pipeline

2010-10-20T23:31:00.000+01:00

I am so far behind with everything due to this nasty virus laying me low for a couple of weeks. Still, all better now, I'm overdue in posting about this event which I have signed up for.

It's been organised by Elaine of the Ted and Bunny blog, and there is a website dedicated to the fair, where you can see you will be attending. I'm very excited to be part of this.

Last time I posted about Violette's Cafe at Barn Antiques. I have a few more pics to show of the rest of the centre, which also has a garden shop attached.

A peek at the garden shop.

Beautiful units inside, loved this one especially.

The barn is huge, divided up into lots of showrooms and has a really good variety of stock. It's a good place to stop for half a day if you are in the area.

Before I go, a reminder that in just over a week's time is the Vintage Bazaar in Frome (Saturday 30th October) which I am busily preparing for. Hence will be rather quiet around here for a little while longer!

Poorly Blooms

2010-10-05T19:24:00.000+01:00

The Blooms are poorly. We've been poorly with a rotten cold for over a week now. Mr. Bloom had three days head start, so he is feeling three days better than me. Anyway, don't you just love this dresser.

I would love it to be mine, but it's part of the decor at Cafe Violette at the Barn Antiques Centre in Long Marston in Warwickshire.

Mr. Bloom and I stopped there for refreshments at the weekend. We had booked a few days away and no rotten cold was going to stop us so we coughed, sniffed and sneezed our way there, back and in between.

The cafe is a delightful mix of old, quirky, vintage, shabby chic, country, all the things we love in one cute and cosy place. Mismatched tables and chairs, painted benches covered in squishy floral cushions, fairy lights and chandeliers hanging from the ceiling.

Just look a those spotty chairs!

I could only photograph part of the cafe as (not surprisingly) there were other customers who didn't want to be in on the act. You really have to visit to get the full effect. The tea and scones, served on vintage china of course, were equally scrumptious.

I was truly enchanted by the place, but I was curious to know what Mr. Bloom thought about being served tea from mismatched vintage china. "It looks like they haven't made an effort" he said. WHAAAAT!!!

Despite the forecasts, Mr. Blue Sky was mostly very kind to us and we've had a lovely few days away. More to report when I'm feeling better!

How far does a matchpot go?

2010-09-23T08:25:00.002+01:00

I'm not telling you anything new here - buying matchpots as an economic way to paint smaller items. I wouldn't normally buy Farrow and Ball paint as it is a tad pricey but I was lucky to acquire a lot of their matchpots a while back at a knockout price.

So just how far does a matchpot go? This little pine cupboard is about 20" tall and 14" wide. I painted two coats back and front and used just over half the matchpot. Just the drawers were painted in a contrasting cream.

After painting I rubbed back some areas for a distressed look.

And added some floral motifs at the top and on the drawer knobs.

A few knick-knacks strategically placed for effect. It's now gone to my unit in Lechlade, you might have spotted it there a couple of posts ago.

(A sunny day for painting outside is also useful!)

Lovely Linens

2010-09-20T21:17:00.000+01:00

On Saturday I had planned a little jaunt with a friend - tea and a spot of window shopping, but an unexpected bonus came in the form of an Open Weekend & Tea Party at Beyond France in Cirencester.

I hadn't known about this event but someone saw it in a local paper and thought of me, so of course as it was just down the road a visit was compulsory.

Beyond France is run online by Maud Lomberg who travels across to Hungary and Eastern Europe to source beautiful vintage linens and occasionally hosts open weekends at her home in Cirencester, Gloucestershire.

Fortunately it was a beautifully sunny day, stock was set up outside and in marquees in Maud's large garden.

Oh such temptation all around. Not pictured are the bins full of remnants - rummage heaven!

Not just linens - handmade items and ceramics too.

These painted tin stars would be lovely for Christmas.

Tea and cakes were available to enjoy in the garden, with vintage chairs of course.

Afterwards we popped into Cirencester town for a mooch about. Want to see what I bought (very restrained!).

Cute terrier figurine, a couple of picture frames - especially pleased to have found the Laura Ashley fabric frame. From Beyond France I bought a gorgeous piece of embroidered linen, it has a scalloped edge which I will make into shelf lining, the rest can be used for sachets or cushions. Plus some red and gold striped ribbon for Christmas bows, after all it's only 96 days to go!

Jewellery Case

2010-09-17T09:00:00.003+01:00

Since I started my unit at Lechlade, I have been intending to include jewellery in my stock. In a large centre such as Lechlade, it is necessary to keep small or valuable items under lock and key and until recently I didn't have a suitable cabinet.

After months of searching, I finally found this display cabinet which was perfect for the job. Originally dark brown varnish, I gave it the obligatory paint job.

I also decoupaged the frame - flowers of course, I'm not called Bloom for nothing, ha. Luckily the case was already lined with a salmon pink moire, I added a cream lace border.

I felt it needed something more so I made these padded hearts for pinning brooches and earrings onto. They are flat on the back so sit nicely in the case (I have secured them to the backing so that they don't move around when items are removed).

I kept the fabrics fairly neutral, one in cream lace and the other in a muted pink/floral stripe

There is foam behind the backing fabric of the case so I can just attach items with pins, the only fixed hooks are right at the top of the case, for hanging necklaces.

I'm really pleased with how it turned out. Here it is in situ (can you spot it - top left quadrant).

Ain't Complainin'

2010-09-14T08:24:00.003+01:00

Sunday I took the opportunity to sell off some surplus possessions and to buy stock - success on both counts. What was once play has become work, not that I'm complaining mind. Even on those Sundays when I really don't feel like getting up early and going out, it usually turns out to be fun, more than I can say for the days when I had a stressful full-time paid job. I still work part-time but it's one of those jobs where I can come home and forget about it until the next day.

The weather was on our side and we got a really good pitch with loads of space and we were right opposite the cafe and loos (very important that!)

Obviously when selling at a Boot Sale or anywhere else there isn't much opportunity for buying as well, apart from neighbouring stalls so I took a friend. We shared a pitch and took it in turns to pop off for a wander round.

I didn't buy a huge amount, by the time we had set up and dealt with the throng, most of the bargains had been snapped up by the other shoppers. Very frustrating to see people walking past the stall with things I would have bought.

I did get a nice varied selection though - toys, ephemera, china, textiles and sparklies. The Laura Ashley Kate fabric is a large festoon blind - loads of fabric for re-use.

China flowers, mauchlinware box and Vernon Ward print.

Sweet birdies and a charming miniature pansies teaset, incomplete and teapot missing it's lid so I'll split it up. I have plans for the lidless teapot.

A few sparklies

Lovely Laura Ashley dress, a vintage evening bag and pink necklace. Bought separately but they do go rather well together.

Don't you just love this doll's painted face and very Grace Kelly scarf arrangement - well I do. She needs some attention - one shoe has split open, she could use a new skirt plus I have to deal with the big nail sticking out of her leg. Must be a bit painful, maybe that accounts for the expression on her face! She hasn't complained though.

Shady Lady

2010-09-11T22:41:00.000+01:00

I was hovering about on my landing today watching the sky and deliberating whether to hang out the washing as there had been several showers in the morning and the grey clouds were still lurking.

So as I deliberated I snapped a few shots, like you do. I am frequently moving things about around the house, but the top of the stairs seems to have escaped my attention - not in a bad way, I like this way this corner looks and don't feel inclined to change it. The curtains are a lovely rose design from Danish designer Lene Bjerre, I bought the fabric on Ebay some years ago - I think it's discontinued now. I don't know its name but Kate Forman has a similar design called Roses, as do Waverly in the US - called Norfolk Rose. I have nets at the window for modesty as our neighbour's landing window is directly opposite.

The huge mirror, a bargain charity shop find already shabbified (painted white) is draped with flowers and fairies.

It's difficult to get a good picture of a window, the lady and her canine companions are looking rather shady.

Placing a board behind does the trick. I've managed to keep this windowsill relatively uncluttered, unlike the rest of the house.

This little pooch is very threadbare, all the more lovable for it. I try to have a rule now that for anything I buy for myself, something else has to go, but I don't think I could ever part with this guy.

The elegant chalkware lady is another firm favourite.

In the end, the washing did get hung out, and dried nicely thank you very much. Better weather tomorrow thankfully as I'm selling at Castle Coombe car boot sale. Hopefully I'll get to do a bit of buying too. With that in mind, must get off to bed - toodle pip!

My Little Harvest

2010-09-08T20:14:00.000+01:00

Allotments are becoming more and more popular these days. I don't have one myself, just not that way inclined, but lucky for me my dad does and so every summer he kindly shares with us the fruits and vegetables of his labours. For a few years my dad has been encouraging me to have part of his allotment so last year I finally agreed to take my own little patch.

And here it is, at the front of the picture. No labour-intensive cultivating for me, I planted (well, actually Mr. Bloom did it) six tiny lavender plants. I was quite surprised at how much they had grown in a year.

And more surprised at how much lavender I got from them, this whole basketful. So the sum of my efforts was one trip to the allotment this year to cut it. That's my kind of gardening! I might even plant another six for next year.

I had planned to tie them in bunches and hang to dry in the sunshine, but somehow didn't get around to it. Instead a Sunday afternoon spent pulling all the buds off, I got quite a decent bowlful. Worth the headache as I don't tolerate the scent of lavender too well.

Something else I harvested from a field full of cars - this cute bisque angel. I think she might possibly be a religious artefact designed to hold holy water in her shell and possibly from Italy?

In any event, she has such a sweet, angelic face - possibly a bit like me? No need to answer that :-)

The Glass Slipper

2010-09-05T19:10:00.001+01:00

Actually, not a glass slipper, rather a china shoe, but that just didn't have the same ring about it for a blog title.

I bought a couple of souvenir china shoes, both the same though not a pair. One was perfect, the other not so much, so one to sell and one to keep. I didn't particularly mind the imperfection for myself, but during a spare five minutes I thought I'd give it a little makeover.

A little ribbon and lace to cover the repair.

The same on the toe for balance. The ribbon came from a french greeting card and graduates from green to white and perfectly matches the colours in the shoe.

I was going to fill it with flowers but decided since the shoe itself is now busy enough, one large paper flower would do.

Today I've being doing a little harvesting - more on that soon, now it's time to enjoy the last few hours of the weekend (boo-hoo!)

Second hand Cath and a bit more

2010-09-01T23:09:00.000+01:00

Do you recognise these prints - of course you do! Do you remember your first Cath experience? I do - it was many years ago in a gift shop in Devizes, before she was really known out in the sticks - there were some aprons, tea towels and such like, just a small range. I remember gasping when I saw them and really wanting an apron - until I looked at the price tag, ha ha! Not long after I saw someone wearing one on the tea stall at a local fete and I was so envious.

I never did get an apron, or anything else for that matter for quite some time and generally I don't buy Cath Kidston for myself. There isn't a shop where I live and I don't visit her website. I used to receive a catalogue, but as I never buy anything they've stopped sending them. Her stuff is lovely, but since she's gone into such large scale mass-production and look-alikes appearing all over the place, it's lost it's appeal a little bit for me. Plus, honestly, I'm not prepared to pay the prices, no matter how lovely it is.

I'm not averse to a bit of second-hand Cath though. Not often, but occasionally her things can be found in charity shops or car boot sales. The zippered pouch and purse above were recent charity shop finds, each for a couple of pounds, never used. They were tucked away behind other stock, but my eagle eyes spotted them from a mile off. The purse is great for loose change for the car boot sales.

These two book bags were also charity shop finds quite a while back, I think they were 50p and £1 respectively. I use one for my flask, water and snacks I take when going booting, (they don't hold a great deal so stops me from being a piggy) and the other to hold all the other bags I take for my booty.

The mini chest of drawers is an exception, I bought it in the online sale a couple of years ago, they are very coveted and I was lucky as they went quickly.

The smaller cup was 50p at a table top sale, I don't use it as it's far too small for a decent cuppa, the larger one Mr. Bloom bought for me at the garden centre so I could have one large cup of tea rather than keep refilling smaller mugs. It doesn't count as I didn't buy it myself.

I've also found fabrics and toiletries, an elephant doorstop, teapot and laundry bag, which I've sold on, and the famous CK for Tesco shopper bags. I have a couple of them but don't often use them as everyone and their dog seems to have one, not that I'm a snob or anything ;-) I'm always amazed that anyone would give a Cath item away, but it's not everyone's taste and I assume they were unwanted gifts. It is possible to get Cath on a budget, you just have to be patient and look long and hard.

I do occasionally buy her fabrics and wallpaper from the outlet shop, and stationery from gift shops but these are for crafting purposes so don't count either. Nor do books, if bought from Amazon, of which I have several. Oh, and then there was that time I went to the shop in Bath and bought a pin box and some badges...and the stationery box I bought on holiday. OK, so maybe I have bought a few bits for myself. Hardly anything really though.

On another note, will someone please tell this week to slow down, it's going far too fast. Not that I don't want the weekend to come, but I've still got soooo much to do before then. Come to think of it this year could take a hint too. As for this month - I know you've only just started, but please don't be in a rush.

Thank You.

Two go to the Fair

2010-08-30T19:15:00.001+01:00

Well done Tonia for organising a delightful day at the Cotswold Vintage Fair on Saturday. My trusty friend and helper Jayne and I arrived well before time, but luckily the hall was already open so we had extra time to set up the stall. Toddington village hall is in a lovely countryside location with stunning views (which I forgot to photograph - doh!) and inside is light and airy - perfect for a fair.

There was a really good mix of stalls, something for everyone from French country, shabby chic, kitchenalia, kitsch, eclectic and simply vintage and a good balance between the vintage and the handmade. Many of the stallholders I had not seen at a fair before so it was a real feast for my eyes. My three photos below (taken during setting up) are only a very small sample of what was on offer but Tonia has set up a Flikr group here where you can see more photos.

So onto my stall, which as usual I filled to overflowing. We had a steady stream of customers all day and I met a few readers of my blog, which was lovely, especially as there was time for a chat. All in all a great day!

Finally, my purchases - will you be surprised to learn I only bought three items? This is no reflection on the beautiful things for sale, I could have bought so much more but I had set myself a budget to stick to and so I did. My three things are lovely though - a flowery tablecloth (in the background), a sweet hanky case, and a religious verse print. I was more than happy with these.

After a good long rest yesterday, Mr. Bloom and I were up early again today on a buying trip (Bank Holiday in the UK). We had a very successful morning (pics in due course) so I'll have my hands full the rest of the week sorting it all out, but this evening we are putting our feet up with a glass of wine, chocolate and a DVD - bliss!

I ought to also mention that I am no longer selling at St. Peter's Church Arts and Crafts Centre in Marlborough. The only reason for this is that I simply don't have much time these days to make items to sell there or the time to devote that it deserved. Instead I'll be selling a small selection of handmade items at my unit in Lechlade Antiques Arcade and of course at fairs.

(p.s. I've switched my comments off again for the time being as I'm getting these annoying comments in chinese characters which I'm not sure aren't malicious, plus I'm really really behind in responding to everything - apologies!)

A (Summery) Summary

2010-08-13T23:23:00.000+01:00

What a lovely blogging break I've had and a lovely summer - I know summer's not over yet but for me August is the beginning of the end and the last few weeks disappear in a flash.

I have been busy, a lot of it mundane but Mr. Bloom and I managed a few days summer break. I'm not a huge fan of great long summer holiday posts, so I'll just summarise with a few pics.

There were drives through pretty towns and villages

Wildlife

Window shopping

Country houses and gardens

A visit to the seadside - along with the rest of the world - ha ha!

More window shopping

Train rides

Finding the prettiest bandstand I've ever seen.

and the prettiest park gates.

A rare sight on this blog - me!

and of course, finding treasures

More busy days to come as at the end of August I have a stall at the Costwold Vintage Fair - this is a new event and I'm really excited to be taking part. So of course, having re-surfaced in blogland I'll promptly be disappearing again as the mad panic and frenzy begins. See you in September!

A break in the break

2010-06-30T18:17:00.000+01:00

What a glorious summer we are having so far, makes a nice change. It's a bit too hot for me though and I'm finding myself glowing a bit too much for comfort! I'm still officially on my blogging break, but as it's turning into rather a long break thought I'd interrupt it with a little post.

(posies from the few flowers in my garden)

I was pleased recently to discover that Newbury was to be a new (trial) venue for the International Antiques and Collector's Fair. Normally these fair are held at locations quite a distance from me, and I don't go very often but Newbury is only 30 miles down the road, so too good an opportunity to be missed.

The only downside was that it was being held on a Monday which is a workday for me but I managed to re-arrange my hours so that I could get there at a reasonable time.

Almost the first stall I came across was lovely Tracey from the Vintage Bothy. I hadn't met Tracy before but I knew from her blog that she'd be there.

These four pictures are from Tracey's stall, lovely vintage textile, racks of dresses and all sorts of wonderful haberdashery, as well lovely furniture and homewares. Tracey and I had a good chat, then I went off to explore the rest of the fair.

This stall had some lovely garden items, mostly new but with our British weather I don't think it would take long for them to look aged!

This stall was lovely too, lots of painted furniture and gorgeous French fabric covered lampshades and cushions. Sadly no fabric for sale - I rarely buy something if I think I could make it myself.

I'm afraid my picture taking stopped after this, I kind of forgot to take any more as I was wandering around. Generally, the fair was a bit disappointing - a lot of the stalls had much the same stuff and the prices weren't anything to get excited about - so I didn't buy very much at all. Mind you, I couldn't get there early enough for trade entry so maybe there were lots of bargains earlier, certainly not by the time I got there. Still, it had to be checked out but not sure I'll go again next time.

Most of my purchases came from Tracey's stall - my favourite being the gorgeous fabric covered sewing box. I also bought a few small pieces of fabric and some lovely rose-covered quilted mats - I've been finding a few of these lately and have some plans for them.

I also purchased a nice selected of victorian scraps, for crafting.

Ooh, I can't wait to start using these! The green box contains a vintage Scottish perfume bottle.

Finally, a little bunch of sweet pink velvet flowers. I guess I might have found more bargains if I'd rummaged a bit harder but it was a blistering hot day and it wasn't long before I started to wilt and had to head home.

The purpose of my blogging break was for me to concentrate on restoring some order to the house and garden. Not much visible progress in the house - the trouble is I am continually buying stock which clutters up the house until I take it over to Lechlade, by which time I've bought more to take it's place anyway!

But I have managed to make some headway in the garden, this is my sunny nook which was all overgrown a couple of weeks ago, now re-instated as a pretty place to sit.

Mrs. Blackbird taking a drink - she decided to build a nest in a bush right next to the back door, I was worried that we might disturb her but all is well so far.

But stock or not, there is definately a need to declutter round here so encouraged by my friend Jayne, who has been in a decluttering frenzy the last two weeks, we are taking a stall at the Car Boot sale in a couple of weeks - I have so far filled half a box of clutter so I really need to get a move on!

This Saturday I am planning a visit to the Vintage and Handmade Textile Fair in Chipping Sodbury. I know there will be many tempations, maybe I should leave my purse at home? (not likely!)

(clematis and roses putting on a wonderful display despite my inattention)

Today I have been enjoying watching a bit of Wimbledon, well you have to don't you - my excuse is that it's too hot to be doing anything else. I was gutted to see Roger Federer knocked out, I do have a soft spot for him. The final just won't be the same without him now.

Anyway, it's cooled down a bit now so I'd better get back to what I should be doing, back in a few weeks!

Lucy x

p.s. Hello Susanna!

Lazy Bones

2010-05-30T20:08:00.001+01:00

I was meaning to post about my Posh Car Boot haul this time, but when I got around to photographing I realised I had already taken several items to my unit in Lechlade. So these pics are things that either haven't made it there yet, or I'm keeping for myself.

Actually I think I ended up buying more for myself than I did for stock.

These hanky trims are so sweet, they need a good wash and will be great for Lillipeg fairy wings, but I don't know if I'll be able to bring myself to remove them from the cards.

The lovely pink floral fabric is a huge door curtain complete with brass rings.

This book has some delightful illustrations by Margaret W. Tarrant.

Boxed set of tablemats showing cute birds.

Lovely old battered teddy.

I hope you've been enjoying the Bank Holiday weekend, I haven't felt like doing very much and have been quite a lazybone, just doing some reading and pottering about. I didn't even go the boot sale today, preferring a lie-in.

Mr. Bloom and I have the week off next week (from paid work, anyway) though I'll be going to my unit a couple of days as I have just taken on some extra space - more on that another time. I also have a new project that I really need to get started on.

I'm going to take a blogging break for a few weeks so that I can buckle down and concentrate on things that I need to be doing. See you soon!

Lucy x

Bargains in the Sunshine

2010-05-23T21:30:00.000+01:00

Saturday morning Mr. Bloom and I scooted off into the Wiltshire countryside for a special sale.

It was billed as a "Posh" or "Country" Car Boot sale - several cuts above your regular car boot. They are run for charity and the sellers are, let's say, more moneyed than most of us and pitches are usually by invitation only.

I've been to this type of sale before so I knew it was worth going, sadly they are too infrequent. Entrance is pounds rather then pennies and the sale is more akin to a flea market in terms of the goods available, quality on every stall and not a single plastic toy or fondue set in sight. Of course, many of the prices are posh too but there are also some bargains if you search hard.

It was set in the grounds of a beautiful country farmhouse - loved the duckpond and the dovecote. I was in my element and the car soon filled up with booty. It was a blistering hot day and normally I would seek shade, but I hardly noticed in my excitement.

On the way home an obligatory stop for refreshment.

The beer was good, so Mr. Bloom told me, I was impressed with their display of pots and baskets.

I haven't sorted out all my purchases yet, so that'll be for the next post, I just snapped a few snippets. Some lovely faded fabric flowers.

Textiles and trims.

And a pretty doll.

Hope you've been enjoying the sunshine (here in the UK), what a treat for sun-worshippers! I managed to do some resting today, all set for a busy week ahead.

The good the bad and the downright annoying

2010-05-20T21:30:00.002+01:00

GOOD: Today started well, I found a £2 coin in the road.

BAD: After that it went downhill - I lost my car keys.

GOOD: I keep a spare key at my mums, she kindly brought it over.

BAD: As a result I was late getting to my unit in Lechlade

DOWNRIGHT ANNOYING: The state in which some customers leave my unit:

One of the downsides of having a unit, as opposed to one's own shop, is that you're not there all the time to keep any eye on things (the upside being that you don't have to be there all the time). At the moment I go in once a week to re-stock, tidy up and do my afternoon stint behind the counter.

Sometime when I go in my heart sinks when I see what has become of it in the space of one short week. I'm sure if this was a shop where customers were in view they wouldn't be so disrespectful of my things. I'm not saying all customers are, I think it's just a small minority who don't have the grace to leave things as they find them. It might only be one customer or it might be a few, but it doesn't take long before everything is in disarray.

On one occassion I watched a man remove a pair of curtains which were hanging on a cupboard door (he wanted to look inside the cupboard) and casually toss them on the floor, then walk out. He thought I was just another customer. Grrrr!!!!

Anyway, rant over, I am grateful to all the customers who come in and buy from me and leave my unit in a tidy state - Thank You! I was going to take some " after" pictures but ran out of time. The other pictures are some bits and bobs I've found recently. Not long till the weekend, hope you have a good one, amongst other things I plan to do some resting!

A Place for Every Little Thing

2010-05-16T14:07:00.001+01:00

One of the downsides (if there can be any) of being a thrifty girl, is finding a place for all those things you just couldn't resist buying.

I have a small shelf in my kitchen which has become a place to put those smaller items that just don't have an obvious place to go. There are a number of little dollies here, some tins, china rose ring, matchbox, just bits and bobs that sit happily together.

The little scottie dog is the first one I ever made, way back in the 80s. I used to collect fabric samples from Laura Ashley and use them to make tiny lavender sachets. I think the fabrics they produced then were far prettier than now, and there was such a wide choice, this one was Polyanthus, I think.

Two very differerent dollies, but I love both their sweet faces.

Underneath the shelf are pegs with more paraphernalia. An old dog biscuit advert, a fairy peg doll, necklaces, a brush, tiny plastic bear, no rhyme or reason, no particular style, just somewhere for them to go.

On the radiator, fake lavender flowers in painted tin pots and nestling inside, two doll's house dollies, the newcomers. I found these at the car boot recently, or rather my friend Jayne found them, but as she had some already was gracious enough to let me buy them for myself. Not sure if I'd be so gracious!

No great value to anything but a place for every little thing. Not much room left for any more though, might be time for another shelf soon!

Hope you're all enjoying the weekend - going by in the blink of an eye as usual! Amongst other things, I've been busy searching for stock and have found a few nice things lately. I'll try to post about them next week.

Out and About

2010-05-12T19:29:00.000+01:00

I haven't done an 'out and about' post for a while, not that I haven't been out but my excursions have either been not particularly blogworthy or to places I've shown before.

Today I had an errand which took me to Wootton Bassett, a small market town in Wiltshire.

It's much like many other market towns, a high street busy with traffic in the week.

Wednesday is market day, it's a tiny market with just a handful of stalls. The medieval building on stilts is the old market hall, built in 1700. These stilted halls are not an uncommon sight in market towns, built in the Middle Ages, they served a dual purpose as the town hall and as a covered area for the market traders underneath. at the time were the heart of the town, today this one houses the town's museum.

In recent years Wootton Bassett has received widespread media coverage. It lies close to RAF Lyneham where the bodies of British soldiers serving in Afghanistan are repatriated. The route from Lyneham takes the corteges through Wootton Bassett where the locals took to lining the High Street to show their respect. It has become something of a ritual now, with the High Street being closed to traffic, shops closing and church bells ringing. For various reasons this has been the subject of some controversy and national debate. I don't think there's any political intent and personally I see no harm if it provides some small comfort to the bereaved families.

This is the war memorial, erected in 2004 after a local fundraising effort, which lists those townsmen lost during the 1st and 2nd world wars.

The old architecture remains mostly intact in the High Street but nothing particularly noteworthy, so just for you I went for a little wander to see what pretty dwellings I could find.

I couldn't wander very far as my parking ticket was soon to run out but look at this unusual hanging basket, I thought it was rather sweet. (In case you can't make it out against the grey brick, it's a duck!)

Just on the edge of the town is a small nature reserve, a nice place for a picnic on a sunny day (which wasn't today!)

Baby ducklings - aaaaah.

Of course some buying took place too, not a great deal - a couple of baskets, a crocheted doily and some lovely 50s barkcloth.

Pretty pinks - the crochet flowers on the doiley are lovely but the kittens on the barkcloth are just too cute for words. Something makes me think I might not be parting with this any time soon!

Thank you for your comments on my last post, I haven't had a chance to return the visits yet but I'm glad to know I'm not the only one with a jungle for a garden!

Forgotten Garden

2010-05-10T23:07:00.000+01:00

I have just finished reading this book - The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton and found it a thoroughly good read, I was gripped from beginning to end. I don't read books often as once I get into a story I have to finish before I can set my mind to anything else. I started it on Saturday and finished today . If it hadn't been for having to get up for work this morning I'd have read all night until I'd finished.

My own garden, whilst not quite forgotten, has been rather neglected. I didn't do any work in in last year and now it really shows - long grass, weeds and plants desperately needing attention.

My sunny nook which was once pretty is now inaccessible.

2 years ago it looked like this.

I bought these recently, I was attracted by the instructions - "shake the bag and sprinkle where desired". Think I can handle that.

I'm hoping to end up with something like this...

Fingers crossed!

Phew!

2010-05-03T18:29:00.001+01:00

Once again the Vintage and Handmade fair was a fabulous event. It was all go from start almost to finish, though there was a small but welcome lull around lunchtime and towards the end of the day. Once again the quality of all the stalls was superb, and it was lovely to see some new stallholders.

As always, by the time I had finished setting up I had precious few minutes left for shopping, never mind taking photos. I did manage to snap a few but mostly they are blurred so I will have to direct you the Jayne's Flickr group where, if you haven't already, you can see lots of great pictures of the day.

A big thank you to everyone who visited my stall, for your lovely comments and your purchases. Much of the time there wasn't an opportunity for much chatting to customers, so I'm sorry that I didn't get a chance to say hello to fellow bloggers who visited.

I would like to say Hello to one reader I did meet - Susanna from Italy, who was over with her husband, and had been to visit my unit in Lechlade too, earlier in her trip. Language was a bit of a barrier but a kiss and hug speaks a thousand words! And another hello to Pooh, who was over from Thailand!

In the few odd moments I managed to run around the other stalls, I bought a few lovely bits for myself, of course. Pretty fabric scraps, ribbons, lace and beads for crafting.

I loved these sweet handpainted bath salts bottles, still in their original box - very kitsch.

And this lovely kitschy plastic box, I thought it was a rosary box, but looking at the picture it was probably intended for rings.

There were so many lovely things to choose from, many tempations, but I like to linger and consider over purchases and having my own stall is a major distraction to relaxed shopping.

After a good rest yesterday - I literally did nothing all day - comes the unenviable task of unpacking and restoring order in the house - wish me luck!

On Hold

2010-04-20T21:54:00.000+01:00

With preparations for the Vintage and Handmade fair reaching manic stage, everything else is on hold. Housework, gardening (not that I do much of that really), even blogging have taken a back seat as a I gather, sort, clean, arrange, price, pack and panic!

So, a very short post, this is a hyacinth I bought a couple of weeks ago, I was excited to find an orange one, looked forward to flame coloured blooms and even went to the trouble of potting it in a basket with an orange trim.

I thought it was too good to be true and sure enough it wasn't orange, not even apricot, just a pale pinky peach. It still looked pretty though and did smell nice for a few days, then it began to stink and had to be removed to the garden.

Not sure if I'll post again before the fair, less than 2 weeks now, but hope to see you there!

It's not about the frame

2010-04-08T18:21:00.000+01:00

I recently bought these three small metal frames - no pictures inside, not very inspiring and easily passed by - not by me though!

Also in my possession, a set of notecards depicting Victorian ladies, squirreled away for the right moment.

With the addition of some vintage lace, they have now become something more desirable.

Sometimes a frame is needed but it's not about the frame, the pictures are quite fussy and didn't need much, the lace just softens the effect. I think they look rather fine.

Today's Booty

2010-04-06T00:52:00.000+01:00

Today was my one chance over Easter to get out stock-hunting and I wasn't going to waste it, sacrificing a lie-in to go early to a local-ish boot sale.

It seemed many other people had the same idea, there were many more buyers than sellers and I bumped into several other dealers from the antiques arcade where I have my unit.

Fortunately we weren't all after the same type of stock, so I managed to pick up a few goodies.

My favourites have to be these Vernon Ward floral prints, and the sweet blue-tit tapestry picture.

The trugs were bought from a gentlemen who makes them to supply a shop and had decided to bring a few to the boot sale. I bought a couple and the rest were soon snapped up. Later I heard him mumbling to himself "I wish I'd brought more of the trugs" whilst I was wishing I had bought all of them!

The rest of my purchases were just a few trinkets, the beads are rosaries. A bigger haul would have been nice, but at least the trip was worthwhile.

The pretty roses below are on a couple of Spode soup bowls which I rescued from a friend - can you believe she was going to use them for a plate-smashing competition!

Thank you for your Easter wishes on my last post, hope everyone had a lovely weekend, over too soon as usual. I have the luxury of an extra day off work tomorrow, but plenty to do anyway.

Have a good week!

Happy Easter

2010-04-03T06:43:00.001+01:00

A very Happy Easter to everyone!

Bagfull of Daisies

2010-03-31T15:36:00.000+01:00

I came across this sweet little bag recently, smothered in pink daisies. Though very pretty, not really the kind of bag I would use, not as a bag anyway, but the daisies would be lovely for all sorts of projects.

The daisies are made from fabric tubes, some very nimble fingers hand-stitched the tubes, then fashioned them into daisies and sewed them onto the bag. I can't imagine how long it would have taken to make them all.

Feeling just a little bit guilty, very soon I had unpicked the daisies and had a lovely stash of floral embellishments. First project this paper-covered box.

Next, a lavender heart.

I added some glass bugle beads to the centres.

This one's still a WIP.

They also make rather nifty dolly hats.

But the best thing is - I've still got loads left!

Giant Jumble

2010-03-28T11:00:00.000+01:00

I don't often go to Jumble Sales, mostly I find the rewards are not worth the effort.

Yesterday I made an exception as this was a GIANT jumble sale

First there's the queueing - I arrived half and hour before the start, and there were already over 20 people in the queue in front of me.

That meant no peeks inside the doors to see what delights may or may not lay within.

Secondly the boredom - standing around for half an hour (or an hour if you want to be first in the queue) with nothing to do but wait is quite tedious and feels like such a waste of time.

I usually chat to someone in front or behind me for a while, then eavesdrop on other conversations. This is where you normally find out about other fantastic sales that they attended and you didn't, but sometimes you find out about upcoming sales that might be worth a visit.

Even if they're ready, they always seem to keep you waiting until the very last second - something to do with insurance I've been told.

The doors open and a dilema - which stall to rush to first. Even if you're the first in, within a few seconds the hall is teeming with bodies, if you don't get to that fantastic bargain straight away, you never will.

I usually rush to the wrong stall and find nothing worth having then watch others walking out with the things I would have bought.

But on a good day, there's nothing better than rushing to the right stall and walking out laden with all the best bargains. A rare occurance since the bargains are usually scattered around all over the stalls. Fair's fair I suppose, everyone gets a chance.

This giant jumble didn't have much I wanted in the bric-a-brac department, just a few trinkets, but the linen stall proved quite bountiful. A huge boxful of mats, doylies, runners, tray and tablecloths, fabrics and curtains.

I wasnt' quick enough to get the whole box, but managed to grab a couple of armfuls. After that, I was fed up of the pushing, jostling, neck-straining and general lack of air and made my escape. The best thing is you can come away with bagfuls of stuff and your purse not much lighter than when you went in.

Maybe I should start going more often!

Colourful Crocks

2010-03-21T10:45:00.045Z

I acquired some lovely colourful crocks recently

This first set is from the 50s, a whole basketful on offer.

These have quite a retro feel with the solid colour cups and monochrome saucers, but are softened by the pretty blackberry design

The second set has lovely colourful daisies scattered all over.

Gorgeous springtime colours.

I have quite a few trios of each design, some are destined for my unit, some will be going to the V&H fair in May

If anyone is in the Ludlow area next week, you might want to visit the Love Vintage Event on Saturday March 27th. On offer will be "clothes, accessories, textiles for interiors, and allsorts of wonderful creative makes". This event is running alongside the Zani Lady fleamarket and Ludlow's Green Fair, so promises to be a great day out for vintage-lovers. I was lucky to be offered a stall but sadly I can't attend, not even as a customer and I'll be soooo envious of those of you who can!

Beary Nice

2010-03-19T16:48:00.000Z

I recently bought this charming little book - Country Livings Country Bears. I'm not a bear collector but the pictures inside were so sweet.

Not just the bears but the props and settings are very interesting - old toys:

Colourful bears:

Lovely outfits:

I do happen to have some bears myself though - just these three.

Big bear came from a car boot, little bear from a flea market and lady bear from the Garden Centre.

Big bear looks rather startled - he has a zipper down his back and is stuffed with an old nightdress - maybe that accounts for it.

Six is the magic number

2010-03-17T13:06:00.000Z

There were six of us for lunch on Sunday.

Six is a good number for several reasons.

I only have six rose napkin holders and six pink spotty soup dishes.

Six 'best' green wine glasses.

Six can sit comfortably around the dining table.

Six pink glasses and rosebud cups and saucers.

Any more than six and we'd have to have 2 sittings!

My sweet mum kindly shared her Mother's day blooms with me.

What - only FIVE?!!

Girl with a Pearl Necklace

2010-03-15T21:50:00.001Z

The week has started well - on the way home from work today I found (as in bought) this lovely simulated pearl necklace, still in it's orginal box with guarantee.

The date on the guarantee is 21/12/59 - so probably it was purchased as a Christmas present, it's lovely to have a bit of information with finds.

Also found 3 pretty 30s plates and a vase, all purchased in different shops but somehow the colours go well together.

This is a Barker Bros. design called Blossom Time.

Lovely pink and blue hydrangeas on the vase (as I'm writing this I realise I photographed the back of the vase, the flowers are much more profuse on the front!)

Also, this wallpaper which will be lovely as a lining for drawers and cupboards.

Hope your week has started well too!

A Greeting for Mother

2010-03-14T06:00:00.001Z

A card

from daughter to mother

sweet words

a simple greeting

roses - the flowers of love

wishing you a beautiful day!

Liberty Basket

2010-03-10T22:27:00.002Z

A two-tier basket on legs, maybe originally a sewing basket, given a touch of white paint plus a skirt from gorgeous liberty floral lawn.

The inside top painted a matching vintage green, decoupaged with CK roses.

I left the back open since it won't be visible, useful for storage.

Not sure what I'll use it for, or where I'll put it.

Maybe a place for homeless toys?

No sewing involved, I just glued the fabric top and bottom, gathering as I went along - quick and easy!

Just Jars

2010-03-06T07:00:00.004Z

I came some of these larger size spice jars recently, just right for a makeover.

Some paper cut-outs, lace and roses, and voila!

I used prints of french perfume labels, I think they would look lovely in a bathroom filled with bath salts.

I have put them in my unit in Lechlade, hope they do well!

I am going to my first Car Boot Sale of this year this weekend - I am soooo excited (and easily pleased too!)

Thank you to everyone who has purchased from my shop - several lillipegs are happily on their way to new homes - but still a few left!

Lillipegs and new friends

2010-03-03T14:32:00.001Z

A few new Lillipeg dolls have found their way into my shop today, along with some new, rather more rounded friends.

(note: Petal and Bessie are sold (thank you!))

The new friends are Lillipins - I took my inspiration from those dear vintage pincushion dolls.

My Lillipins have very firmly stuffed skirts and are intended as pincushions though can be used purely as decorative items.

All are available in my webshop here.

New Dresser

2010-02-24T13:22:00.000Z

I have always wanted a dresser, in all the houses I've lived in either I didn't have the funds to buy one or when I did, I didn't have the space for one. Currently the issue is still space, but undeterred I recently purchased my heart's desire.

The space problem is solved by not bringing it home - it resides in my unit at Lechlade Antiques Arcade.

When I first took the unit last year I didn't want to invest too much in fixtures and fittings as I wasn't sure how it would work out so I brought in various shelves and cupboards I already had at home.

But things are going well there so I decided it was time to start making my unit more like I want it to be. I bought the dresser from another dealer in the arcade so moving it in was easy enough.

My room is still more cluttered than I'd like it to be but I receive many positive comments and apparently it's a favourite with the ladies on a Saturday afternoon.

It's also been featured in a Japanese magazine - I haven't seen it myself but was told by another dealer.

I'm now working one afternoon a week manning the arcade which I'm enjoying very much as I get to meet the customers and have a chat. Thursday afternoon is my slot, so if you're around then do pop in to say hello - and maybe find a bargain too!

Dappled Sun

2010-02-20T12:02:00.009Z

So nice to see the sunshine today, making the kind of day to be going out somewhere. Mr. Bloom is working today and I don't feel inclined to go out by myself, besides I have enough to do, much neglected houswork for a start.

I do hate doing housework at the weekend but can rarely get myself organised to get it done in the week. The sun is helping me by highlighting all the dirt and dust!

It is lovely to have sunshine through the windows. Geography is not my strong point so I can't tell you which way our house faces, but it only gets the sun at the front.

Even in the middle of summer, although the back garden gets sun, the back rooms never do. A good point to consider when buying a house which I clearly didn't!

My bedroom is at the front of the house, and I love the way the dappled light shines through the window, so I took a few snaps (like you do!).

Corner of My Home

2010-02-18T07:00:00.001Z

This corner is in my bedroom underneath the shelf I posted about here. Some more of my favourite things reside in this corner.

I have a small glass lamp which I am using as a hatstand for a floral cloche hat (or maybe I am using the hat as a lampshade?) in any event, it does look pretty when the lamp is switched on. It only has a tiny low wattage bulb, in case you're worrying about it catching fire!

Cussons produced some wonderful toiletry gift sets in the past, I can imagine that it would have been difficult to bring oneself to use the contents, and generally when I come across one of these sets (which is not that often), the contents are still intact. This one still has the original price label on the back too.

The birdie hanging from the shelf above was a Gisela Graham christmas decoration from a couple of years ago.

The doll was a purchase at the very first Vintage and Handmade fair and next to her is a vintage French fabric bon-bon bag, it is lined with crepe paper, sadly no bon-bons remain.

Here is is all together. (The white drawers were rescued from an old dressing table, I have a pair of them, currently on the makeover waiting list).

Paint, Paper and Lace

2010-02-15T13:14:00.010Z

Most recently, paint, paper and lace have featured in my crafting efforts, plus the colour green. In an effort to reduce the paint-pot mountain I have been mixing some pots together, one of the results being this lovely muted green.

As I have to paint in the kitchen, I tend to paint in small batches, to minimise the disruption on the worktop. First off this wooden box, which I decoupaged with victorian style roses.

Secondly another box which didn't have a lid but is useful for display or storage. I added some wooden bun feet, I do this with most of the boxes I make, somehow they look more finished this way.

Lastly, a wooden planter, the black bands are metal and were on it originally, I liked the contrast with the green so put them back on.

Finishing touches are tiny painted dots, I can't resist putting dots somewhere on the things I paint, and some tea-stained crochet lace.

The best bit is finding things to display in them, though these are just temporary as the boxes are all going off to my craft unit very soon.

Hope you enjoyed the weekend, my Sunday was very lazy and relaxed, a real treat!

Happy Valentine's Day

2010-02-14T06:00:00.005Z

For St. Valentine's day I have selected a few snippets from this delightful book - the Love Almanac.

It's packed full of interesting and entertaining information about matters of the heart - very appropriate for today. I haven't actually read it, but I do like looking at the pictures!

Today, Mr. Bloom and I are dining courtesy of Messrs. Marks & Spencer again - no expense spared in this household!

Of course, not everyone chooses (or has a choice) to celebrate this day. For many years this was my most dreaded day of the year and I wished for it to be over as quickly as possible. But whatever you are doing today, I wish you a LOVE-ly day!

Mission: Accomplished

2010-02-13T18:37:00.011Z

Mr. Bloom went out on a 'secret mission' early this morning, he wasn't giving much away, but I know he went to a certain shop which happens to sell flowers.

I went on my own mission, to look for stock for my unit in Lechlade, and I did find a few nice things:

(Woven door curtain in background, fibreglass rose design tray, boxed set of 6 floral mats, rose trellis cushions, rose design bowls, pink mirror, crinoline lady sugar tin)

I was really pleased to find the tablemats - they have some beautiful prints on them, at least two are signed Vernon Ward though I'm not sure they are all his.

This lovely Worcester Ware sugar tin, very battered and shabby, but that's OK because I'm keeping it for myself.

The mirror has some cute hand-painted roses on the back - needs a good clean, hadn't got around to that yet!

Mr. Bloom was home before me, and no sign of anything having been bought - but I know from previous experience that he accomplished his mission and it's been hidden in the shed.

I've already got Mr. Bloom's Valentine gift - ME (ha ha!) - but just in case I also bought him a couple of DVD's.

Now we've eaten dinner I have another mission - the washing up!
TTFN - Lucy

Yesterday's News

2010-02-10T20:08:00.011Z

Yesterday was flowery.

I found... 2 quilts and a sewing basket - lovely vintage florals.

I made... a patchwork ball from Liberty fabric scraps, just for fun.

I was given....a piece of beautiful vintage Sanderson fabric, pretty pictures and a cute perfume spray bottle. LOVE the fabric - thank you L!

Today...there is no news.

Betty and Violet in Hungerford

2010-02-08T19:46:00.002Z

Last Saturday the Blooms took a trip out to Hungerford. It's one of my favourtie places to pop out to around here, and I usually try to plan a trip to co-incide with the Antiques Fair at the town hall.

Not that I very often buy there - it's a 'proper' antiques fair if you know what I mean, and prices are generally out of my range. It's nice to have a browse though.

I probably only go to the antiques fair once or twice a year, which I probably why I've never come across this delightful stall before.

All these delights belong to a lovely lady called Alison of the Tales from Betty and Violet website and blog. I went back about 3 times for another look - pure eye candy - and of course I bought something.

My pictures don't do it justice, as well as selling buttons, trimmings, fabrics, bags, pictures and ephemera and more, Alison makes the most beautiful lavender hearts and pillows from vintage french fabrics.

So, on to my purchases...

A set of vintage chocolate-box drawers and a sweet pincushion doll. The gorgeous lavender heart was from Alison's stall.

As was this sweet french booklet of love poems - it has the prettiest illustrations.

Then it was off for a cup of tea and a quick mooch around the charity shops where I picked up a copy of Routledge's Complete Letter Writer for Ladies and Gentlemen. I'm glad I did as now, if I ever need to write a 'formal invitation to a stranger to meet a mutual friend at the writer's house' I'll know exactly what to say!

Shop Update

2010-02-03T19:30:00.002Z

I have updated my shop today with a few handmade items - mindfull of Valentine's day soon, many have a heart theme.

For those who have asked, I haven't managed to make any more Lillipeg dolls yet, it's a case of juggling too many balls at the moment, but my fingers are itching to make some so I will try to have some available very soon. In the meantime here's a picture of a Lillipeg bride I made for a customer request last year.

A new and exciting event will be taking place later this year, organised by Lizzie and Clare, in which I hope to be taking part! You've probably read about The Vintage Bazaar already, but if you haven't there's more info here.

Today

2010-01-27T21:30:00.000Z

I don't know about you but since Christmas I have found it difficult to get back in the swing of things. I have much to do but find myself not being able to make a start on anything.

But today I:

Picked up these lovelies on the way home from work

(biscuit barrel)

(poodle and fabric)

(rose jug)

(petit point bag)

Installed my new BT Home Hub (finally!!!)

Installed crucial software on my new (1 month old) laptop and went wireless (easier than I'd thought, don't know why I put it off for so long!)

Took some pictures of items to go into my webshop soon

Played cat-and-mouse with the sun - which kept disappearing at the crucial moments I wanted to take photographs.

Made curry for dinner

(the lowlight of the day - I don't much like cooking and I don't much care for curry - but Mr. Bloom does)

Wrote this post (of course!) and I still have time left to

watch the new series of Desperate Housewives.

Considered a good day!

Once-upon-a-shelf

2010-01-24T19:33:00.021Z

Once-upon-a-time I had a shelf filled with pink glass which I posted about it when I first started my blog.

It did look pretty but over time the shelf became a bit of an overflow area for things that had no home and started to look rather unco-ordinated and over-crowded.
E.G.

This weekend my task was to re-organise my little craft room. This was a displacement activity for intalling my new wireless router (which I still haven't done). But since the prospect was equally unappetizing, I instead spent the morning re-arranging the shelf (I justified this by saying that it needed dusting). First everything was removed - it's amazing how much can be squeezed into a small space.

The blank canvas, which I decided would benefit a bit of a makeover.

I had some pretty vintage wallpaper which would be ideal. The shelves do not have a back and I didn't want to paste the wallpaper to the wall, so I cut a piece just a bit larger than the space and tucked it behind top and bottom shelves, with some strategically placed blobs of blue-tac to make sure it stayed put.

As the shelves were a bit wider than the wallpaper, I tacked a length of lace either side as a border. I placed the floral pattern near the top as this would be the part visible once the shelf was filled.

Then came the part we all love, putting things back. I wanted a more substantial look this time and to introduce some colours other than pink. I kept just one pink glass vase - for sentimental reasons ;-)
Ta-da!

I included a few blue items to pick up the blue leaves in the wallpaper.

Plus generally a mix of subtle colours. Not everything was put back as it would have looked overcrowded again.

This tiny baby doll has a dolly of her own, the little stick doll is tiny, only 2cm tall - someone with very nimble fingers must have made her.

Beneath the shelf is a small cupboard which was given a re-arrange too - that's for the next post. Meantime there's the small matter of 'what do I do with all this lot!?"

Ah, who cares - let's just enjoy the view!

A thrifty week

2010-01-20T12:54:00.020Z

Just when we thought we'd seen the last of it - it's back -drat! Not that I don't like it, just it's settling as a horrible slush, by the time I walked home from work today my shoes and socks were soaked. As for taking photos - hopeless. Of course, when it was sunny yesterday I was busy doing something else! But enough of moaning.

Well, not quite. Last Monday I was bemoaning the fact that having visited all the charity shops in town, I had managed to find only one thing.

Rather a lovely thing, I'll admit, but just the one. 'It's rubbish', I moaned, there's nothing to be had!' But by the end of the week I was eating my words. Having revisited the same shops plus a few more, I had gathered together quite an assortment - mostly for stock but I will be keeping one or two items.

TUESDAY - this gorgeouse paisley eiderdown - my eyes popped out on stalks - plus a striped sheet and cotton eiderdown cover. You can't really see in the pic, but it's one of those that has a huge diamond cut out in the middle, so you can see the design on the eiderdown. I remember having those as a child and always wondering why there was a hole in the middle!

WEDNESDAY - pretty rosebud jug, glass bottle, praying figures and fantastic 70s pink paisley wallpaper - I found two rolls of this in mint condition - enough for a small feature wall or chimney breast.

The wallpaper will be for sale, if anyone is interested please email me for more info.

THURSDAY - two wooden trugs and a wooden box, for makeovers, plus this darling raffia hat - I love the shape and might keep it for use as a sun-hat in the summer (for gardening only!)

FRIDAY - two pretty brooches and a russian doll.

SATURDAY - two mirrors, one wrought iron, painted with pretty metal flowers. The other a bevel-edged painted with a crinoline lady garden scene. Unusually, both are in excellent condition, the painted ones especially are often found with most of the picture worn away. Very difficult to photograph though!

SUNDAY - I had a rest! But all in all a good thrifty week.

Today's task that I have been putting off is to install a new router for my internet connection. I hope it all goes smoothly, but if I don't answer emails immediately, you'll know why. Hope to be back soon!

Displacement Activity

2010-01-14T12:33:00.018Z

I am very good at procrastination and displacement activity. Currently, my most pressing task is to put the Christmas decorations back up into the attic, they have been packed away since the 6th Jan and are cluttering up the dining room. For some reason (might be the fact that the attic is bulging at the seams) I keep putting off this task, I do not relish the thought of going up there and trying to find some space to squeeze them back in.

So, I am thinking up 101 'more important' things to do. My favourite displacement activities are:
1. Eating
2. Making lists (of things I should be doing)
3. Re-arranging knick-knacks

Following the over-indulgences at Christmas (and before and after) no. 1 is no longer an option.
I have listed everything possible and have to start doing the things on the list, so no. 2 is out.
Therefore it has to be no. 3 re-arranging knick-knacks.

I haven't shown my latest doll purchase - I bought her before Christmas but she hadn't been 'arranged', so I've created a new vignette for her to sit in.

She's the work of Heather from LilyGrace Originals, I first bought one of Heather's dolls a couple of years ago, when I came across her stall by chance at a local Christmas fair. I saw this one (I shall call her Emma for now) on Heather's Etsy site and was sorely tempted but as it was close to Christmas I thought better not.

Then I went to the Christmas fair this year and there she was, so much more beautiful in the 'flesh', the deal was done!

Emma is part of a small range of Georgian style dolls that Heather has created this year. Her head, hands and feet are sculpted from special doll clay, the rest of her body is soft. Heather paints an individual and unique face on each of her dolls, I knew if i didn't buy Emma there and then she would never be repeated. I love her pretty face and her coil of black hair. She truly does look like a Jane Austen heroine.

I've seated her on a wicker dolly-size chair and created a rather flowery vignette around her (on the cupboard on my landing). Keeping her company is my pink poodle lady, another firm favourite.

Another good displacement activity is fiddling around with photos on the PC. I don't have any special graphics software, just HP Image Zone which came with the PC and has a few special effects. This is soft-glow...

...sepia....

...antique...

Right, what can I do next?

Bags of Love

2010-01-11T13:32:00.000Z

My friend Jayne recently bought her first sewing machine, so for Christmas I made her a 'starter kit' of various sewing accessories.

Rather than just wrap them all up, I made a bag for her to keep them in.

A combination of CK fabrics with a lace trim around the top.

Inside I lined the bag with a co-ordinating red spot cotton and added a useful pocket.

The contents included sewing books, lace and ribbons, patchwork fabric bundles, fancy pins, scissors, needles and thread. Also, this fabric covered darning mushroom - I made a few of these for the V&H fair last May and they were really popular. Unfortunately the vintage ones aren't that easy to come by so I don't know if I will be able to make any more.

I also included a 'voucher' for Jayne - an afternoon's sewing coaching, as she hasn't used a sewing machine before.

I really enjoyed putting this together, and it was much appreciated too. I have some ideas for other 'Bags of Love' - watch this space!

Just Snow

2010-01-10T19:13:00.012Z

I know that blogland is awash with snow scenes and you are probably fed up of looking at them, but as it is such a rare occurrance in this country to have this much snow and for more than a day or two, I am posting my own pictorial homage to snow, feel free to ignore this post!

This lady in my garden has acquired a snowy hat...

...and the tin bird has a heavy weight to bear.

Mr. Bloom and I went for a walk to the local park in the snow and sunshine - lovely!

That's All!

Happy 2010

2010-01-03T14:46:00.000Z

So here we are, Christmas gone in flash and now it's 2010. I hope Christmas was lovely for everyone and you're feeling relaxed, refreshed and looking forward to all this new year may bring.

I haven't taken down the Christmas decorations yet (though I have made a start today), so my pics are still rather Christmassy. Taken with my new camera which Santa Bloom surprised me with on Christmas day - he's such a sweetie. It's about a quarter of the size and weight of my old one and much easier to use - thank you Santa!

This year for the first time since moving to this house we celebrated Christmas Day at home. It wasn't possible before now, firstly because of building work and subsequently because the dining room had become a storage/dumping ground area.

For the last 2 years Mr. Bloom and I have 'borrowed' my mum's house and cooked Christmas dinner there. This involved a lot of to-ing and fro-ing of food/utensils etc. which I was determined to avoid this year. One month before Christmas the dining room was still a storage/dumping ground badly in need of decoration, but the invites were out and there's nothing like a deadline for making sure thing's get done.

The dining room walls before/after...

The newly decorated room (Christmas day remnants on table!) It's still a wee bit crowded, some of the furniture has to find a place elsewhere and the carpet has to go, but perfectly acceptable for entertaining.

Back to work for me on Boxing Day - I did find it rather strange, I've never worked on Boxing Day before, but I did get Monday off instead. A rather lazy week ensued as Mr. Bloom was off work, then another small gathering at the Bloom's for New Year's Eve.

Dining table set for New Year's eve supper...

Two other jobs that could be put off no longer, and I am pleased to have got out of the way, were hemming the front room curtains and re-covering the sofa.

The sofa had been dark blue - a thrifty purchase where there was no colour choice. I had been covering it with throws for over a year and was fed up with how untidy it looked, but re-covering it was one of those tasks that seemed a huge effort. I finally covered it on Christmas Eve, in about two hours. It's just a temporary fix, I used a staple gun to cover the frame, whilst the cushions were covered parcel-style and fixed on the back with safety pins! Not perfect but I think it looks OK (but that carpet really has to go!)

Ah well, one more lazy afternoon today and it's business as usual from tomorrow - sigh....

Happy New Year to All!

Twas the night before the night before Christmas

2009-12-23T23:00:00.011Z

Each year I promise myself I will be ready in good time for Christmas, the day itself is over so quickly that I like to enjoy the lead-up, when tree and decorations are up, just sitting, relaxing and enjoying the view.

Each year I fail miserably to achieve this, with this year being no exception. Although the Christmas decorations are up, today I was still painting walls and tomorrow I will be re-covering the settee!

I managed to snap a few pictures, my main scheme is red, gold, silver and white. For me it just doesn't feel Christmassy without these colours.

A festive Lillipeg - I've named her Holly!

Baubles and birds are my favourite combination.

A mix of old and not-so-old.

Of course I love vintage decorations too and have dressed a small tree in the dining room with multi-coloured vintage baubles.

Wishing you all a wonderful Christmas, see you again in 2010!

After the Party

2009-12-01T19:45:00.025Z

So the big 50 has come and gone - do I feel different? - yes I do - I'm not sure if I like it much but there you are, nothing to be done.
I did have a wonderful birthday though, starting with the mystery mini-break which was finally revealed about half an hour from our destination. Mr Bloom chose well, this is the lovely country house where we stayed. It was right out in the sticks but not too far from the town of Ledbury in Herefordshire. I was quite happy to be there as we were close to some favourite antiquing haunts.

The B&B was superb, we were the only guests and our landlady kindly showed us round much of her home, done out in splendid English Country style. The kind of house most of us will only ever dream about living in. Sadly, photos were not allowed indoors, but I did sneak a few in our room.

We could choose our room and though the other one had a four poster, this room was bigger with the best views and the most luxurious bathroom.

Several shopping trips ensued over the next couple of days, including one to the pretty spa town of Great Malvern in Worcestershire.

You can stock up on spring water for free.

A view over the town from the romantic Waitrose car park.

The magnificanet Malvern Priory.

Something new since our last visit was this delightful retro shop called FOL (which stands for Fabric of Life). The owner was just doing up the front for the "Best Christmas Display" competition for local traders. He wasn't too keen for me to photograph it in a half finished state, but finally relented. I thought it looked great anyway, I hope he did well in the competition, I didn't notice much going on outside the other shops.

Great Malvern has a good selection of shops and some nice places to eat and drink, if you are thinking of visiting. After a lovely couple of days it was back home for the weekend, and a family dinner. I'm not much for big parties and this was the perfect end to my celebrations.

I was very spoiled and received some lovely gifts, these are just a few:

Beautiful hand painted box and glass perfume bottle.

Pretty candle cup and loads of flowers!

Mr. Bloom's gift had been a mystery too, there had been a trip out somewhere one Friday afternoon which I wasn't allowed on, and I had no inkling what my present might be, but I couldn't have chosen better myself - this beautiful vintage french lamp and shade, which I just love.

In fact, I did choose it myself, I just didn't know that I had. We spotted this back in the summer in a lovely french brocante style antique shop in Pewsey, I had oohed and ahhed over it, then promptly forgot about it, but not so Mr. Bloom. Lucky for me it was still there when he went back months later - there's dedication!

Something purchased whilst we were away was this huge chandelier prism, you should be able to just make it out in this picture, the postcard underneath should give an idea of size.

Not sure why I felt the need to show this, I just thought it made a pretty vignette.

Also wanted to say Thank you for all my lovely birthday emails, I think I have replied to everyone now.

Once my birthday is over, I usually get straight on with Christmas preparations, but annoyingly I have succumbed to this nasty cold virus going round and for the past week have been unable to do much other than lie on the sofa under a blanket feeling ill as well as old ;-)). It's still hanging around, hope it buzzes off soon!

Webshop Update: Due to other commitments I haven't been able to update my webshop and am postponing until January, hoping my customers will be prepared to wait!

Post Fair Haste

2009-11-18T19:30:00.013Z

I'm probably the last one to post about the V&H fair so you'll have read all about what a truly wonderful day it was. Being determined to allow some shopping time, my friend Jayne and I hastily set up and I took some even hastier photos, most of which came out blurred, so here are some not very good pictures of my stall.

Looking around the other stalls I noticed how artfully they were all arranged whereas mine seemed to be a lesson in how much can be packed onto one 6ft x2ft table - quite a lot as it turned out.

Before we knew it the doors were opened, the rest is a bit of a blur until suddenly it was all over. Thank you to everyone who visited my stall, I wish there had been more time to chat, but it was lovely to meet you all.
A huge thank you to Jayne and Michele once again for a fantastic event! There are links to all posts of the event on the Vintage and Handmade blog and lots more pictures on the website (good ones!)

My plan to allow plenty of shopping time almost worked, I had about 20 minutes before the start, I could had done with three times that at least. I think I need to work on a simpler stall layout and less stuff for next time!

I was very pleased with my own shopping though - pretty fabrics and trims...

One of Niki's superb fairies...

and a lovely brooch pillow.

I thought once it was over I'd be able to slow down a bit, but it's been a very busy week so far with one thing and another, so this is a hastily-written post. I will be taking it a bit easier for the rest of the week though, as Mr. Bloom and I are going on a mini-break tomorrow. This is a bit of a special break as it's my birthday, and a milestone one too. A lady doesn't like to give away her age but it begins with a 5 and ends in an 0. I don't know where we are going, it's a surprise, but I will be taking my camera so hope to have some pics to show you when I'm back next week. Now I'm off to do some hasty packing!

TTFN - Lucy x

Results and Preparations

2009-10-27T11:53:00.001Z

I'm a bit late announcing my giveaway results, sorry to keep you in suspense. I just couldn't find a slot to get onto the PC yesterday, but thank you to everyone who left a comment! As always there can only be one winner and the random number generator selected number 5 - Congratulations to Victoria of Florence and Mary. Please email me your address Victoria and I'll get the goodies posted as soon as I can.

As to preparations - under three weeks now to the Vintage and Handmade fair and I am almost permanently surrounded by fabric, paint, paper, glue, trimmings, and my (way too big!) To Do list constantly whirring round in my head.

The kitchen table is taken over by stock - at the same time as Mr. Bloom is doing a bit of DIY in there - not a good idea!

So, in the absence of very much to say, I'm showing a few snippets of what will be on offer from Lucy Bloom. Hope you like!

(p.s. I'm switching off my comments for a while again - just until I catch up with myself!)

Monday Nights and a Giveaway

2009-10-13T12:30:00.002+01:00

In common with (probably) a large percentage of the population, I don't like Mondays. It's that horrible back to work feeling together with a disbelief that the weekend whizzed by so quickly. Monday evenings, however, are a different matter as that's when I go to my painting class.

It's a small class - just 5 ladies and our teacher, Jayne (who is lovely!) at Jayne's house. I've been going for several years and now it's really more of a social event - we still paint of course, but we choose what to do and probably spend as much time chatting as painting, and indulging in tea and chocolate biscuits (some of us more than others ;-)).

Most of my projects end up in new homes, since I don't have room to keep it all, but I so loved this project I worked on recently that it's been found a spot in the house - for the time being at least!

It's really a combination of painting, decoupage and collage, and a bit of a departure from what we normally do - not all the ladies share my vintage tastes! I would love to say I painted the roses, they are the decoupage part, from floral gift wrap - my contribution was the corset and trellis leaves.

I ruched some pink ribbon to trim around the bust and also for the hanging loop. I then trimmed top and bottom of the board with lace, braid and pink fringe, then added tiny self-adhesive pearls as a finishing touch. Now adorning a spot on the side of my wardrobe that miraculously wasn't yet occupied.

I haven't been able to blog as much as I'd like in recent months and have been a terrible respondent to the lovely comments and emails I've received, so to say thank you to all my readers I have put together a few things for a giveaway.

Included are a selection of vintage cards:

A fat quarter of my favourite Laura Ashley fabric - Isabelle, of course in pink!

A tiny frame with a fragment of vintage wallpaper, a vintage soap, a floral tin, a vintage hanky, a tiny sprig of pink millinery flowers and a rose scented sachet.

And Blossom, one of my Lillipegs, dressed in flowers and lace with a mass of golden hair.

The giveaway is open to anyone, anywhere - just leave a comment, short or long, before Monday 26th October 2009.

Right, must get back to more mundane things - enjoy the rest of the week - Lucy x

Branching Out

2009-09-28T15:29:00.002+01:00

I few months ago I took a unit at Lechlade Antiques Arcade. It was something I'd had in mind for a while and wasn't sure where I'd go but I booked it on the spur of the moment one day when we had popped out to Lechlade for lunch. I started off with a tiny unit tucked away in a corner which was a bit dark and cluttered and impossible to get a good photograph.

Recently I've moved into a larger room and although it's still quite cluttered, it means I've been able to put more stock in and get a half decent photograph. There's still no natural light, but I have a room all to myself with it's own doorway. It's looking much more how I want it now, though there are still a few finishing touches to go.

I haven't gone for any particular style, just a mixture of bits and pieces - vintage, country style and shabby chic, that I hope customers will like. It's going well and I pop in once a week to add stock and have a bit of a tidy up - customers cannot always be relied upon to leave things as they find them ;-). It's been keeping me busy for the last few months but I'm really enjoying it.

These pics are all from my unit - the other units are quite a mixture, if visiting you need to allow time for a good look around as there are two floors and many rooms. Of course, when I visit my unit a can't resist a look around the others, here are some things I have bought from there for myself:

Pretty perspex box, great for displaying sparklies.

Plus these two sparklies:

These cute steps which I showed a little while back.

A complete album of Wills Cigarettes Film Stars cards from the 30s.

Very glam!

If you are thinking about visiting Lechlade, there are three other antique shops/centres, a few gift shops and the famous Christmas shop, plus you can dine by the river and take a walk along the Thames. I'll post more about it another time.

The Antiques Arcade is on the High Street, at the junction of the A417 and A361, click here for a map. They have a website but the link is broken at the time of writing, I've put the link anyway as it might sort itself out. The arcade is open 7 days a week, 10am to 5pm.

I do hope you'll pay a visit :-)

As a result, I'm afraid my webshop has become rather neglected. I do have some pretties put away though and hope to have an update before very long.

Mr. Bloom's Birthday

2009-09-23T20:14:00.023+01:00

Last Saturday was Mr. Bloom's birthday, so I took him out for the day - we went to Monmouth. This is a lovely historic town in the Wye Valley. An early start meant we had plenty of time to explore and relax.

We started with a fine breakfast here:

The town has two rivers running through it - this a view of the river Monmow (after which the town was named) which runs along one side of the town.

I thought I could see something in the river behind the trees so we walked down to the little bridge to investigate. I thought we had stumbled into the Wild West when I saw this herd of cows taking a communal bath in the river!

It was quite a warm day so I expect they were cooling themselves.

There's plenty of interest for those who don't care to shop - this is the military museum.

And the remains of Monmouth Castle.

For those who do like to shop, the town has a good selection of shops, this is Agincourt House which is a great junky style antique shops, packed from floor to ceiling, great for rummaging, plus there are several good independent gift/home shops.

This is Monmow Bridge -the only complete Medieval bridge of it's kind in Britain.

In the afternoon we drove along the Wye Valley and stopped at the Boat Inn for refreshments.

This is accessed on foot from the village of Redwood along this quaint iron bridge.

Lovely views from our spot in the garden.

A final stop on our way home at Tintern and the magnificent ruins of Tintern Abbey.

Now of course, no day out would be complete without a bit of thrifting (for me :-) and even though it was his birthday, Mr. Bloom was happy to allow me a bit of shopping time - there just happened to be a market that day plus several charity shops to investigate!

Cute bunny girl figurine

Rosebud china and ceramic knobs

Gorgeous and HUGE crocheted bedspread, someone must have spent months making this!

For more information about Monmouth you can visit their website here.

Kitschy Corner

2009-09-09T19:36:00.011+01:00

This summer in an attempt to keep the flies out I bought a bead curtain for the doors in my breakfast room. I have been struggling to devise a suitable window treatment for this room, something to provide a semblance of privacy whilst not blocking out too much light.

I know bead curtains might be regarded as dated or even naff and I never would have considered one as a window dressing, but over the weeks mine has grown on me and I really rather like it.

The beads are clear with a pearlised finish, and they do rather a good job of reflecting the light and brightening the area. I think they look quite kitschy.

In the centre I have hung a wire heart into which I tucked a few bits and pieces, plus the last of the lavender from my garden to dry.

A bit of sunshine helps too - currently my favourite place to sit!