Buy In Haste – Buy More At Leisure

…Or so the saying goes now that I have reinvented it to suit my purposes. 

I wouldn’t say I’m a particularly impatient person but, once I decide to make something, I want to do it straight away or as straight away as possible.  So when I saw some really cute clasp purses made from Liberty fabric I felt the urge to create.  Trouble is, instead of just ordering the kit from the place I saw it, I decided that I didn’t really need the fabric from the kit as I already have a good supply of Liberty cottons and the purse frame on its own was silly money and I knew I could get a better deal elsewhere so off I went to surf the net.  Which, of course, is where the problems start.  I fell in love with some purse frames and ordered them from one place.  Then I ordered a PDF tutorial to make the purse in what I thought was the right size from another place.  Well, it was the right size but not the right shape.  The tutorial was for a rectangular shaped purse frame and mine is curved(ish).  The ‘ish’ is important because then I bought another PDF tutorial for a curved shape but then realised that mine is a cross between the two.  This is so typical of me.  Anyway, I ended up designing my own and here it is – be kind, it was my first attempt, even though I was cavalier and used Liberty and linen being falsely over-confident in my own abilities.

I’m not entirely happy with it.  I want one that comes up over the ends of the hinges more and has a flat bottom.  Still, I have some more purse frames on order and, this time, I think I have ordered the right ones for the right tutorials so there might be all different shapes and sizes coming up.  Although I may well have moved on to something else by then. 

On my way back from dropping Madamoiselle Tialys the Elder at her guitar lesson and popping in to Carrefour for some ‘bits’ having remembered that  Mr. T. does like to have some food in the house when he comes back at weekends, I went for a rummage in the junk shop as I do.  I found some pieces for my shop but I also saw this bowl which is absolutely huge – I think it was part of a pitcher and basin set – and cracked, chipped and discoloured to death – but it’s such a gorgeous pattern I just had to have it.  Well, they only wanted a euro for it – so I couldn’t just leave it there.  You will see that I have cunningly disguised all the deficiencies by turning the good side outward and filling it with huge hydrangea heads – who would know?

Sobering Thought for the Day

If I were to list myself for sale on my Etsy shop, I would be in the  ‘antique’ category.

And before you feel too smug, if you are over 20, you would be ‘vintage’.

1991 ‘Vintage’ Nirvana

Loving the Rust

Vide grenier season is here – hoorah!  I went to two local ones yesterday and even managed to drag Mr. Tialys along with the promise of plants for sale.  They were listed as vide grenier (empty your attic) and vide jardin (empty your garden) so he was tempted  but any hopes were dashed as, to be honest, people don’t seem to raise their own plants here as much as they do in the U.K. – well, not in my neck of the woods anyway.  So, there were a few sad herbs stuck in mini pots and a couple of cactus plants so all his hopes were cruelly dashed and he just had to help me carry my haul instead.

See how I look after him?  I bought him a gorgeous, rusty, non functional stove to use as a plant pot.  Look at that gorgeous lid.

I’ve got a large version of this Larousse illustrated dictionary which I have dismembered for various purposes as it was in quite bad condition but this one, from 1939, is gorgeous and will be kept intact and used as a prop in my photos and for looking through occasionally.

Another Keeper

I know I say I’m often tempted to keep my vintage finds, rather than put them in the shop, but the gorgeous vintage pillow case in this collage had my name on it (or my monogram anyway) so, of course, it’s definitely a keeper. 

Let’s Play Shop

I was so thrilled when I saw these in the junk shop yesterday that – to borrow a phrase from Jodie over on Ric rac – I had to clench the lady muscles in case the excitement wee escaped.

So, although even I am not old enough to remember such things in shops, they made me want to get out my old toy cash register with the plastic money and some felt food and play let’s pretend.  As those things are long gone (probably in somebody’s vintage toy collection!) I made do with real biscuits

Of course, I want everything wrapped in brown paper and tied with bakers’ twine.

I’m definitely going to have to keep one of these – if not both!

Not Tonight Josephine

How do you like this little wasp-waisted beauty?  I was driving past my local brocante the other day and saw a mannequin outside.  I couldn’t see much from a distance but thought I’d  go and investigate further so I did, and then bought it.  Surprise, surprise.  If only my waist were that small.

In case you were wondering about the title – the woman in the shop told me it was from the Napoleonic era!  Well, I’m not sure about that but it is very old and must have been from a time that they wore rather severe corsets.

Mr Tialys is starting to feel a bit freaked out by these almost life size objects coming to share our house.  We have my lovely little tatty one in the bedroom, another on the landing,  one he doesn’t know about in my workroom and now this one.  I think maybe I’ll stop now that I’ve got a wasp waisted one.

Apropos

Apropos is one of those words that, if I ever get the chance to use it, always sounds a bit weird or pretentious and, once I’ve said it, wish I hadn’t.

Anyway, that’s by the by, I have used it for the title of a treasury because I hadn’t made one for a while and didn’t really have a theme in mind, just stuff I like, so there’s no theme, no links, no clever title.  Just a funny word.

‘Apropos…’ by LaManche

…of nothing.

RIONA hand knitted cardigan … ovejanegra $155.00	Leather Traveling Collar Box… BarkingSandsVi… $55.00	SALE Needle Felted Snow Hare sarasark $495.00	Vintage Buttons Dog Collar SillyBuddy $27.00
Handmade Needlecase freestyl… hensteeth $43.50	Antique Brass and Leather Fi… HoudiniHouse $48.00	vintage toy hand crank noise… thehopetree $12.00	African Shell Copper Glow Ne… singingheartje… $36.00
APPLE BLOSSOM Natural Shampo… NaturalPetProd… $17.50	Fused Glass Pendant Colorful… uniquenique $22.00	Vintage grandmothers garden … fabriquefantas… $48.00	Grey Sock Dog Art Doll crazyhoundstor… $25.00
Happy New Year Vintage Tin L… RollingHillsVi… $15.00	Art —– Vintage Typewrite… mentalembellis… $18.00	custom orders taken cocoondesigns $395.00	hand knitted cream aran armc… BiscuitScout $690.00

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If you like something, you can click on it to have a closer look. Clever eh? Thank you Whale Shark Websites.

Let’s Play Games

Are the family still all at home in that limbo between Christmas and New Year?  When you’ve had enough of the telly and all your electronic games are charging up, it’s the perfect time for getting out the traditional board games or the Bingo balls and having a good, old fashioned family argument over Monopoly or Scrabble.
Houdini House is obviously thinking along the same lines as he was inspired, by my vintage candlesticks no less, to make this great treasury based on the game of Cluedo.

‘CLUEDO’ by HoudiniHouse

The Reverend Green in the library with the candlestick….

peacock feather tail feather… pegasus22 $3.50	Pair of Ornate Vintage Frenc… LaManche $35.00	Vintage Photo of Woman Shoot… diabolus $24.95	Antique French country schoo… lapomme $48.00
antique Stillson Walworth Bo… ObjectRetro $18.00	muffin tin simplyobjekts $16.00	vintage jump rope with woode… SpringChickenV… $16.00	1891 Mounted Photo of Revere… arborwayantiqu… $3.49
vintage composition doll wit… theoldwhitehou… $20.00	3pc Antique Glass Optical Le… treasurebooth $10.00	13 Vintage used Library Book… rubyfloy $4.50	Victoria Terminus – Neo Vict… luminoddities $30.00
mid 19 century gorgeous orna… CoolVintage $37.50	1885 Antique ARCHITECTURAL D… blastsfromthep… $12.25	Vintage Black and White Phot… TheOldRedHen $35.00	Clock key necklace of antiqu… minusOne $18.00

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Whatever games you’re playing, I hope you are having a wonderful time with family and friends and I wish you a Happy New Year.

1st December – Are You Ever Too Old For An Advent Calendar?

Well, I’m not – although I pretend it’s for my daughters.

I remember when I was young – and while I still have such a good memory all is not lost – advent calendars were a simple affair.  Some thinnish card with a Christmassy scene and numbered doors that seemed to disappear into the background until you could swear that certain numbers had not been printed on at all and, when you did find them it was a feat of dexterity to get your fingernail in to prise it open.  If you were really lucky, and your mum had paid a bit more,  it might even be decorated with some  glitter!  The joy, I seem to remember so clearly, was in seeing what image was behind each closed door.  If  a robin or a deer or something cute was revealed  I’d be satisfied but if it was something like a holly wreath or a candle, I’d feel cheated.  And, oh the excitement, when it came to the double doors for number 24 – always a nativity scene, but always thrilling because you knew that, the next day was actually Christmas Day.

Then came the chocolates.  I’m not saying that I didn’t scoff my chocolate as greedily as the rest but the quality of the images behind them seem to have suffered and, sometimes, they hadn’t bothered with an image at all.

Then came the little pockets.  By now, of course, I had my own children and the challenge was on to see what you could buy that was small enough to fit in a little pocket for 24 days running!  This year, not satisfied with little pockets, there are drawers!  And I bought one.  More fool you, you might say, but I can fit 2 chocs in one drawer so one calendar does for two girls and, anyway, it’s so cute and it’s handmade so I don’t feel bad.

I must admit, though,  that I do feel quite nostalgic for the simple pleasure of hoping for a robin rather than a candle!

A Vintage Christmas

You can indulge your love of antiques, vintage and retro right over the holiday season and I’ve found some goodies here to prove it.

‘The Ghost of Christmas Past’ by LaManche

Vintage items for the festive season.

A Pink Pear..Luscious Old Sp… pinkgrapefruit… $7.95	Vintage (12) Twelve Days of … VintageMixes $7.50	Vintage Clear Glass Insulato… RollingHillsVi… $6.50	VIntage Shiny Brite Glass Ch… uglysanta $27.00
Snazzy Rhinestone Reindeer P… moondogcottage $10.00	vintage doll SANTA CLAUS jum… forrestinavint… $60.00	Vintage Brass Deer elizabethwrenv… $11.00	Vintage Sweater Vest Deer/El… WillowCreekSpa… $35.00
small wooden cow push puppet… thehopetree $11.00	Vintage trio of Angel bell w… BarkingBirds $12.00	Vintage 1940’s Shiny Bri… heresthething $15.00	Silver Strapless Cocktail Dr… JustOneLook $75.00
Vintage Holiday CHRISTMAS Ca… SquirrelFriend $5.00	Vintage santa card holder dirtybirdiesvi… $14.00	vintage HOLLY RED bow flats…. SimpleThrift $32.00	Beautiful vintage deer porce… moonandlion $12.00

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