happy christmas - and introducing the etsy shop

Happy Christmas everyone! December has been busy, and I've not had a chance to stop in here. I'm taking a break and will be raring to go in the new year!

I've been working hard on my new etsy shop - Lost Property Vintage - and have even enjoyed a few sales. I can't wait to make it even bigger and better next year.



See you all in 2012!

northampton vintage fair

Keeping the momentum going I will be at the Northampton Vintage Fair on Saturday.

Starting at 11am, it is at St Matthew's Parish Centre, 27a The Drive, Northampton, NN1 4RY. Stop by if you are in the area!

living vintage - bentwood chairs

One day I'll find a set of bentwood chairs for a bargain price. I love their classic, simple style, which seems to fit with any interior. My only worry is how comfy they may be.

But these fun penny round cushions from Australian company Castle would soften them - and cheer up any room.

(found via ish and chi)

my first vintage fair

That was a lot of fun! The vintage fair on Sunday was a success and I learnt a lot. I can't wait to do more next year.

Here's my stall, prior to a few tweaks. I set it all up on the dining table the day before, but needless to say it looked completely different on the day! The biggest item I sold was the globe, hiding under the table in the photo. S and I spent half an hour one evening comparing the names of the countries against the history books, and dated it to the 1930s/1940s.

Now I just have to unpack it all...

lost property finds - off to the fair

It's been a bit quie round here recently, and that's because I'm buried undernearth piles of boxes, preparing for my first vintage fair!

It's today (Sunday, 27th November) at Victoria Hall in Oundle, Northamptonshire. Drop by and say hello if you are in the area!

As well as some finds previously talked about here, I'll be bringing lots of new things. Including the Oxo tin above, and the accurately named 'little forks' below.

And if that wasn't enough, lost property vintage is now on etsy! More on that soon, but please have a look around.

Wish me luck!

(linking to Flea Market Finds at Her Library Adventures)

living vintage - hudson bay blanket

(photo: Design*Sponge)

Can't find your own thrifted Hudson Bay Blanket? Then why not knit one! This pattern from The Purl Bee looks fairly straight forward. Would you give it a try?

lost property finds

It's been a quiet year for vintage Christmas, but this week's find makes up for it.

This gang of Santa's and elves are about a foot high, and made of bendable wire. They are so much fun!

living vintage - photograph wall

What a great way to display your favourite vintage photograph. It would cheer you up every time you walked in the room.

(found via)

lost property finds - flea market find of the year

A special post for Sophie's Flea Market Find of the Year competition! Last week's jadeite bowls were certainly a special find. But I've chosen an item that I came across in the spring, just before I dusted off the blog and started posting regularly.

It's not often I find truely vintage pieces. Amongst the 1970s polyester, I discovered this Fifties cotton dress. It's full of beautiful details, from the buttons to the unusual waistline.

Around the same time, I came across this gorgeous black and purple floral dress. It's 1950s in style, but the design of the label suggests it might date from a decade or two later. No matter, it's a stunner. And I was particularly excited when I found this, because it was on the £1 rail!

I'm off to see what everyone else found!

lost property finds

I'm visiting my parents this week, which means not much time for thrifting. So here's something from a couple of weeks ago. A real piece of history, this is a field dressing from the Second World War. It only contains one of the two bandages in the little bag - I wonder where the other bandage went?

Believe it or not, it turned up at a jumble sale for 20p.

(photo by S)

Happy Halloween

Happy Halloween everyone!

(picture from Woop Studios)

lost property finds

This week I came across one of the best finds I've ever spotted in a charity shop. After a long day, I stopped off in a local town, which I nearly drove straight past. Waiting for me in the last shop, which I nearly didn't go in, were these...

...a set of three jadeite mixing bowls - Fire King no less! I couldn't believe my eyes, and scooped them up straight away. I've never come across Jadeite in the UK before. And best of all, they cost £4.50 for the set (about $7).

I also added to my milk glass collection. I had a flurry of buying milk glass a couple of years ago, but haven't come across any recently. These three all turned up this week.

And finally, a few pieces for the vintage fair.

lost property finds

It's been a fun couple of weeks thrifting. I've been exploring some new shops and car boot sales, and it's paid off. I've even braved another couple of jumble sales! Here's some highlights:

A set of small Pyrex bowls, a pretty print and cute little jug - all will be appearing at the vintage fair next month.

I love these 1950s glasses.

You don't often find vintage teapots in decent shape, but this one is in excellent condition.

And I've wanted one of these string dispensers for ages, but have only come across a pricy version in an antiques shop. This chap was 50p at the car boot sale. The handing bit on the back is broken, but he'll look great sat on my shelf.

What did you find?

Linking to Her Library Adventures and Apron Thrift Girl.

lost property finds

What a lovely week I had, catching up with family and exploring a new part of Cornwall. And the most amazing weather!

And, the big news is I've signed up to have a table at a vintage fair next month. It's something I've wanted to do for a long time, and finally took the leap. You will find me at Victoria Hall in Oundle, Northamptonshire, on Sunday 27th November, from 11am to 3pm. Stop by and say hello!

Here are some highlights from my last few thrifting trips, some of which will be appearing at the vintage fair.

A fab old box - the kind you see a lot on American blogs, but I've never come across one before.

Victory jigsaw puzzle, coasters, a little brass cat and a sweet pyrex-ish mug.

Souvenir cup and saucer from Lynmouth, and a plate from Lynton (both in Devon).

Fun plaid tie, and a souvenir scarf from London. And a big pile of vintage fabrics, one of which is serving as a backdrop to the photos.

What have you found recently?

Linking with Her Library Adventures and Apron Thrift Girl.

off to cornwall

I'm heading south for a few days - see you next week!

Vintage map garland from Naturally Heartfelt, a lovely Falmouth-based etsy shop.

lost property finds

 

Another successful week of finds, including discovering a new city full of excellent charity shops! The mouse will be added to my collection of kitchy animals - although he is a money box and far bigger than his friends. The first aid tin is a rare eBay purchase.

Not the most glamourous purchase, but these plate racks are very handy - I already have a yellow one, but this blue and red version is much prettier. It's sat on a vintage Laura Ashley skirt, which will be lovely next summer.

Last weekend I attended my first jumble sale. I thought I was a hardened thrifter, but it was too much for me. There was far too much pushing and too many elbows! But I scored this lovely wooden coat hanger. The vintage wool coat was a charity shop find, and will be making its way to eBay shortly.

And it's not quite the right version, but this vintage Penguin copy of The Great Gatsby will make do until I find the perfect copy!

Linking with Her Library Adventures, Apron Thrift Girl and The Thrifty Groove.

my thrifting wishlist - part two

Do you have a thrifting wishlist? Items that, if you're very lucky, you will come across one day. Preferably tucked in a box in the back of the charity shop, or under a table at a car boot sale, just to make the find that little bit more special.

I've decided to put my wishlist out there into the universe, in the hopes that they will come my way.

Item 2 - retro bride painting
 

 
I came across this image in Living etc magazine a few years ago. The painting of the bride jumped out at me immediately and I was hooked. I love the colours, the style and the unusual perspective of the picture. Occasional eBay searches have come to nothing, but I live in hope that one day she will appear.
 
And isn't this room the perfect setting for her? The simple colour scheme lets her shine, with a hint of the colours echoed in the cermaics on the shelf.
 
What's on your thrifting wishlist?

school never looked this good

Can you believe I used to go to school here? Needless to say, it didn't look anything like this when I was there. It was a run-down old mansion house, complete with the overgrown kitchen garden and tennis court.

They sold off the land a few years ago and turned the garden into a football pitch, which broke my heart. And the house is now for sale for a whopping £2.75 million!

The living room pictured below was one of the class rooms, and I can remember making a totem pole out of cereal boxes that towered up through the stairwell. When I first started primary school here, the first floor was occupied by a costume hire company. The lights were always off, and there were mannequins lining the stairs. Obviously I blame it for my fear of mannequins and statues!

(please excuse the tiny pictures - they are borrowed from the estate agent's website)

lost property finds

It's been a good week or so of thrifting, with a couple of excellent car boot sales. These cheeky little Fisher Price telephones came as a pair - the lady selling them said she had to buy her sons two of everything to avoid arguements! (photo by S)

A selection of my favourite finds (with in a slightly blurry photo I'm afraid).

Up close, there is a lovely 1930s jug, which only cost 50p, the Good Companion jigsaw of a pet show (a very timely subject!), a tiny seagull to hang on the wall (only 20p), a stack of plates monogrammed 'Eglwys Sion M.C. Pontygwaith' (a church in Wales, I think) and a sweet little brass swan.

The little tapestry purse (made with Welsh wool) is now my 'car boot sale purse' (keeping a supply of pennies on hand), little Rum Butter jar and a miniature fiesta ware set.

And another installment in the category of 'the weirdest thing I have ever bought' goes to this reserved sign. I'm planning on putting it in the garden, peaking out from amongst the plants. I certainly got some comments walking round the car boot sale with this!

And finally, the one that got away. I missed out on a set of five blue Le Creuset saucepans, with lids, by mere seconds. It would have been bad enough, except the seller only wanted £1.50 for them! I've been kicking myself for the past week for not being quick enough.

Have you had any near misses lately?

Linking with Flea Market Finds at Her Library Adventures and Thrifty Things Friday at The Thrifty Groove.

some favourite things

A round up of the best things I have found on the internet in the last few weeks...
The best advice and inspiration:
Photography 101 - a beginners guide to product photography
A fun tutorial on customising a paint by numbers set by Megan at File Me Away
And check out these fab paint by numbers murals

Interesting snippets:
How eyebrow styles have changed over the decades (via)
Have you read the Design*Sponge newspaper?
The alternative read - Better Book Titles (via)

And something to look at:

Crafty meets MCM - knitting an Eames chair (via)

Beautiful wedding dresses from the archives of The Kyoto Costume Insitute, such as this 1950s stunner (via)

David Bowie's Space Oddity as a children's book (via)

Might have to make a trip to the Yorkshire Sculpture Park for the Donna Wilson exhibition this winter

best in show

It's my favourite day of the year - the local dog show! Despite the name, it's open to all sorts of pets and awards range from 'cutest guinea pig' to 'dog the mayor would most like to take home'. I took S's camera with me to snap some pictures of the crowd, and am really pleased with the results (it's my first go with the fancy camera). Sadly, there were no daschunds to be found, unlike last year when there were hoards of them - so much fun!

And it wasn't all household pets...