j'adore vintage....

Life might just be complete.... Sunday morning spent at a Vintage Fashion Fair, followed by a perfect italian Cappucino... *sigh* (of course, having MrsB with me would have been the cherry on top *sends you kisses*) I was on a mission - i had a list of items i was looking for, but.... at the same time, you need to enter these places with an open mind, a creative heart and a wallet full of cash. THAT perfcet item *might* be in there and one must be prepared.

Open doors at the Northampton University (not a pretty place) but OH the treasures inside!! I was shocked that it was so 'not' busy in there - fantastic for me, i hate fighting elbows through the rails of clothes.

Bird entrance stamp... now i really want a wrist tattoo. I never thought about having one before, but having it sat there made me yearn for a full-time wrist birdie x

Rails of wonder - so much to see. I did have the ManFish and SmallFish with me, which brings it's own rewards (man carrying bags) and difficulties (SmallFish is a slippery one) and joys.... look at her in that hat! Everyone falling in love with her....

SmallFish actually has a really good eye for the vintage. Not a fan of shopping generally, the vintage markets and local carboots really suit her energentic personality. She had £5 to spend and managed to come home with 4 pieces of jewelery and a lovely fan. Results all round.

I could go through and list EVERY item i wanted from this leather stall. But i like to *think* i know when to stop. The case right at the front of that table... i wanted it so bad but i did not need it. For £45 it was a stunning bargain but too small to be of real use. And, don't get me started about the delicious little handbag sat on the back window...

I did buy a suitcase - it was a huge one! for £18 - i thought it was such value, i didn't even barter on the price. See me in my BEST purchase **THAT DRESS** aaahhhh, i changed into it there and then at the fair. 100%Cotton, full skirt, belted waist, calf length, stand up collar - H A P P Y -

Price...? £6...... yes, £6. I would have paid so much more.

ManFish bought me the above red / white / blue apron style skirt with the cutest pockets (i'm wearing it today)....

And we left the fair as a team of happy shoppers....

"the ones that got away".... the topdress below was super cute BUT these are the battles you have with vintage and secondhand. The stall holder tried to start the bidding too high. I think she thought i 'had money'. I later stood next to her as she offered a similar item to a customer at HALF the price she quoted me - bad luck lady, you do yourself out of sales by being cheeky. I loved it but i am holding the back tighter as it was quite loose fitting. SO, it didn't make it home with me today...

and.... THIS was so close. From the same naughty stall as the dress above... it is really The One that 'got away'. i should have bought it BUT again, it needed some work and i couldn't see how i was going to alter it without ruining it entirely. Ah well, you win some - you lose some. There will be other dresses / other fairs....

These are the shoes and bag that i bought at this very same fair back in March - the shy glimpse of a petticoat below my new dress... a petticoat was on my list of 'things to buy today'. It was perfect in every way and some foolish man sold it to me for £1 ... why? i would have paid so much more!

Then into my favourite DOLPHIN CAFE on the route home. A coffee and a sandwich x

I can understand if you're not a vintage fan. No other person in my family 'gets' vintage. They think i am mad. Maybe. But i know a good thing when i see it.

j'adore vintage. It makes me happy x

NEWness in the shops...

Boiled Sweetie Buttons: All clear and multi-coloured. The odd different shape but mainly rounds in varying sizes... HERE Also available HERE but you can order in £££ if you prefer!... the GIANT red spotty button - expensive, i know, at £2.50 each but they are a huge 5cm / 2inch red spotty button!!

Hang on to Summer Needlebooks - pretty Matroyshka face and Flower Garden.

See the Folksy shop for £££ and the Etsy shop for $$$ (links down the >>>righthand side)

AND... cupcakes! Yum x

Something pretty for your sewing box / sewing room / sewing basket / sewing fingers....

COLOUR me happy :)

The SUN is out today - i'm wearing pink and grey (which, quite frankly, makes me happy) I had my hair COLOURED last night - meh, you might not see what i can see, or rather what i can't see: no nasty orange. no nasty re-growth. no greys.... just honied brown - colour me hair proud!

New buttons. Cool free bookmark from the library. Blackcurrant cordial = colour me cool!

Awesome *new* GIANT spotty buttons arrived - colour me excited... (what to do with them now?)

yumtastic lollies from the Traditional Sweet Shop down the road - colour me delicious (slurp)

Lunch out with my sunshine girl! Colour me sunny and fed.

Blooms hanging good in the sunshine - colour me *loving* that Victorian red brick work x

Buttony brooch. Spotty shower curtain - colour me happy to be in the world today :)

.......... Yippee x x x

Weekend Craft Fairs...

So, i found myself at 2 Fairs this weekend. The first was in a school and was a very small fair. I'm afraid there was little to report from there, other than some lovely people that i met.
The Sunday Fair was where it was allll happening. "MaKe" in Wolverton, Milton Keynes. If you missed it, you missed a treat! What a joy to be at a fair that was so friendly, with so much space and very well organised. I had a massive stall area to play with which is always so nice. I hate being rammed table end to table end in a grotty light-less hall. This was a theatre - blissful hall and so sunny (when Jamie opened those wooden shutters)

I am in no way ashamed to admit, i had my small Christmas Tree up and was selling early decorations. Why not? People were enjoying them and buying them so i make no apologies for it.

I love looking at the stalls all set up - 2 mins till the Fair opens to the public (stall holders grabbing drinks and toilet stops, worrying about where we parked our vehicles for the day...)

Lovely lovely JANE Charles and her wonderful felt items. Isn't she great? watch this space for her own etsy shop http://buysmallbeans.etsy.com

Her items have an almost scandinavian look to them? and Jane herself was wearing fab clothes (wish i'd got her in a shot now...)

A lady selling her paintings - she was telling me she is a keen photographer too and this was her first fair! Great artwork lady x

Cake Makers / decorators, mmmmm.... look at that castle - it is darling!

Oh... and, ummmm they were selling cupcakes too so i HAD to have one....

I would love to be really slim and wear tiny jeans and tight vest tops, BUT... i think i like cake even more than i want to be thin (i tell myself i'm feeding my hour glass figure)

Cute, cute, cute.... this lady is fresh from Art School - cast out into the big bad world and she ended up next to me.... poor / lucky her (depending on how you view it)

She is Jessica Sharp and you can see some of her stuff here: http://nellieandelsie.etsy.com but again, this is a virgin etsy shop so keep watching, there is more good to come from Jessica (ooohhh, teacups and whimsy and seaside shells and nostalgic letters)

I didn't get a chance to catch this lady's name but she was a stunning artists - and needs to keep her stuff to galleries as she was soooo good and her stuff is much too divine (and heavy) to be carting around to fairs.

Jamie's Wife.... "Mrs Chalmers". Now, no offence J, but i'm pleased i have a pic of your good lady rather than yourself. You are such a limelight gent and your wife was so quiet - she is also far better looking :) "Hello MrsXstitch - it was lovely to meet you" x

Schmooze himself, MrXstitch had a really lovely, simple and galleresque display of Cross Stitch pictures he had swapped with other cross stitchers / embroiderers / contemporary needlefolk.

There were some great pieces....

I really liked this picture>>>>> but i want to clarify, this day was far from being 'pants'. It was great. Thanks J, thanks Carole, thanks to all of those who came along, it was nice to meet previous internet customers!! get to know new people and share the enthusiasm for crafting.

Back to the grindstone.... x

Think of this post as a trendy radio show... as i do i few "Shout outs!"

Big "Shout Out" to Lupin x she knows why! and i wanted to show her i really did wear my tea cup brooch today!!.... and that is me with my *new* giant Starbucks Mug, mmmmm. A big "Shout out" to anyone round Milton Keynes - i'm at Giffard Park Primary School tomorrow at an Autumn Craft Fair... see you there locals!?>>> (that's my stuff i'm getting ready)

BIG "Shout Out" to Milton Keynes / Stony Stratford / Wolverton people as on SUNDAY i will be at the MADCAP centre in Wolverton for a Craft Fair called: MaKe! Come along, it might be fun...

(getting my Brooch stand ready)

"Shout Out" to BigFish.etsy.com where i will listing these yumtastic buttons - they are clear! coolio or what?

and a little "shouty out" to my PaperFish shops on Folksy and Etsy where i'm uploading these Button Love Brooches....

Maybe i'll have time to take photos of crafters lovely stuffs over the weekend...?

I will try xxx

Button BUGZ!

Let's hear it.... Ladies and Gentlemen... put your hands together for..... the Button Bugz!
IF you are coming to the OCTOBER half term CRAFT CAFE in Upper Boddington - then these might be on the Craft Menu. Mwah ha ha ha - (said in a sort of 'Hallowe'en' voice)
They are creepy, crawly, buttony and sprawly.

My LittleFish and i gave the recipe a trial and error run. They came out even better than i had imagined and they leave plenty of room for a childs own artistic interpretation! (we like them to take an idea and rrrrruuunnnn with it)

This is one side of those MINI selection cereal boxes - to give you an idea of the size of body you need. Don't make it much bigger or the legs might not hold up the body. Before you start, punch a few holes down each side. I made FOUR holes on each side of the body.

I told LittleFish to keep the holes FREE of stuffs when decorating. Obviously she didn't, so i had to rummage through the body's fluffs n' stuffs to find them again.

As demonstrated by my angel (below) stick lots of great stuff on the body, including many goggly eyes. Use whatever you have? pompoms, ribbon, tissue paper, eyes, pens.... always use good strong sticky glue.

I use this glue>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> for everything. Tis fantastic! water it down a bit and use it as a varnish too.

Cut 4 PIPE CLEANERS into 8 legs.... (who smokes a pipe nowadays?) and that is: EACH pipe cleaner in HALF for those who struggle with the maths :)

Thread a button on to the end of each bendy fluffy stick. They want to try and be the same length as each other - but the world won't stop turning if they differ in length muchly.

And... thread the un-buttony end through those holes i warned you about at the beginning.

They might not stand very well till the whole body is DRY - warn your child about this when they start to cry as the bug won't stand on it's own. This will get better - later.

COOLIO! me luffs the bugz. I'll let you have this idea and use it too if you like! i love crafting with kids. I could suggest you buy your buttons through me, but if this is not your first visit to the blog, you know that by now xxxx happy bugging people x