Piccies, at long last!

Its been ages, hasn't it, I know. Somehow I just haven't had enough time to even get the photos off the camera, let alone upload them to the blog. I think I might just about be back to normal though. Almost. Well, by Monday hopefully.

My dear friend and (very occasional ) co-author JJ came to visit me on Tuesday, and we had a great time wombling through a few charity shops, oohing and ahhing in vintage shops, drooling over buttons and various assorted other stuff from previous bootfairs etc. We saw the cutest button necklaces in one of the many shops we trawled through, and that really made me think. I had all these millions of buttons at home, well, quite a few anyway, and I really can't just sit there sorting them into jars by colour, and fondling them, and just playing with them, when I could me making a couple of pretty necklaces as well.

So I tried, spent a fair amount of time rummaging through my vintage buttons to find the ones I thought would look good, arranged them, picked them off the floor after the dogs' tails had swiped them off, arranged them, picked them off the floor........... . Got wise in the end and used a tray which I took with me every time I left the room. I didn't have the right sort of wire, so I tried with a kind of twisted soft metallic beading wire. Dead loss, the buttons were just spinning around like crazy, and it drove me nuts. Then I thought I give fishing line a go, same thing, spinning, going all over the place and I was losing it, lol. So the next morning I went to our lovely jewellery making shop, Stone Corner, and got myself proper thick stiff jewellery wire. YES!!! Success! At least I think it was successful, I really like the necklace. And yes, I know its browns and creams and whites, but I do happen to like browns and creams and whites! So there.

Well, what do you think? I reckon it will look really pretty with a white top, or a brown top, or even a BEIGE top, lolol. Its difficult to see in the photos, but some of the buttons shimmer so beautifully in the right light -


I like the idea of using vintage buttons that way, so I might make a few more, in somewhat brigher colours though.

D'ya know, its been so long, I can't even remember which things I have bought lately at boot fairs or charity shops and actually shown you. So here is just a random selection of stuff which I have acquired lately, and which I think you haven't seen yet.

Found this really pretty pretty crochet lanky -


Two fabricy bits, two of many that is, I'll photograph the others tomorrow -

Six very pretty rosy cups and saucers and two tea plates, they match some other bits and pieces which I have in France, including the teapot I showed you in an earlier post -

Some beady bits, no treasure hunt would be complete without a few beads. It included two massively big beaded rings, the bead fringeing from a lampshade I think, and some lovely heavy glass drops from two candlesticks-

A dinky little Sadler teapot -

Oh, and just look at these gorgeous deep pink rose curtains. Aren't they just scrumptious, delicious, fabulous? Going by the fabric I would say they are from the 1950s, and they are glorious. Beautiful roses, carnations and errrmmm, whatever those other flowers are, in sumptious pinks and greens and in fabulous condition. I bought them for the cottage in France, but then thought that the kitchen windows are so small, the curtains would be much too big, and I could never bring myself to cut them. Nope, definitely not. I may fondle them for a while, lol, and then perhaps take them to one of my fairs with me and sell them

And how about this 1950s/60s bar cocktail set from Germany? I love all that sort of stuff-

Oh, and then there is this pretty little nightdress case -

Now, lets see what else we've got. Ah yes, I bought a few bags, this is one of them. I intend to make some nice crocheted/felted embellishments for them-

Oh oh, and I found the perfect set of place mats for France as well, 6 of them with different rose designs -

I couldn't resist this very beautiful Edwardian book, the cover was just irresistible. And just look at some of the lovely illustrations inside-

Now, if you are feeling hungry, you had better not look at the next pics. Somebody seems to have taken a gorgeous old cook book apart an I have ended up with some of the plates of very yummy looking French dishes. Sigh, those were the days, just look at the fab presentation -

There, thats it for today, I need a cup of lovely Chai now, and maybe a little choccie or two.
Toodlepip xxx