It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas.....!

Wow! I turn my back on this blog for a little while and all of a sudden, Christmas is here!

I haven't been updating the site very often as I find it more convenient to use my Facebook page so please don't think I have disappeared.

It's been a very busy few months, I've been making lots of new upcycled gifts and homewares, collecting (some would say hoarding...!) lots of vintage treasures on my travels around car boot sales, auctions and junk shops, taking my wares out to lots of Christmas fairs and markets AND doing the odd vintage tea party here and there. Lots of fun.

Here are some photos from the last few weeks of what I've been up to.

Teacup pincushions

Hessian coffee sack cushions

Vintage style greeting cards

My first 'shabby-chic' style project

1950s Babycham glasses

Stall at Enderby Nativity Fayre

Sharing a stall with Cathy at Whetstone Pastures Farm's Christmas event

Wishing you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year 2014 x

The Vintage China Boutique, 36 Francis St, Leicester

Today saw the grand opening of The Vintage China Boutique, a fantastic new shop in Stoneygate. Caroline Sproston, the owner, has done a brilliant job of doing up the shop in just 3 weeks, collecting stock, renovating furniture and creating an amazing space to showcase her own collection of china (for sale and for hire) and promote local vintage traders and craftspeople - including me!

Here are some pics of the opening day - more on Facebook. Do call in....

Bank Holiday Bulletin

Have just realised I haven't blogged since our Vintage on the Farm event! It was a great day, the weather stayed fine (apart from the odd spot of drizzle), lots of lovely customers, some discovering Whetstone Pastures Farm for the first time, others pleasantly surprised to find a beautiful selection of vintage goodies on offer when they came to simply pick fruit!

We raised over £100 for Send a Cow which was brilliant. Thanks everybody for your support. Here is a little video montage of the day....

We were also entertained by SLUGs ukuleles and the Silver Threetles, Here's a clip of the fab 3 doing the fab 4!!

I'm looking forward to a relaxing August bank holiday weekend. Off to an auction tomorrow, car boot and dog show on Sunday (hoping Tallulah the pug wins a prize!), then off to see my friends in Lincolnshire who recently had a baby daughter. I have made her some personalised bunting....

Also hoping for a trip to the East Coast for ice cream, fish and chips and a paddle in the sea. I may take my latest acquisition, a vintage Brexton picnic case which I picked up at a car boot last weekend. Love it!

Get ready for exciting news in September.... A friend is opening a vintage and handmade shop in Francis Street, Leicester and I will be selling some of my goodies there! Watch this space.....

Vintage on the Farm is this Saturday!

I am really looking forward to my event on Saturday. It should be a lovely day celebrating all things vintage, local craft and vintage businesses.....   and the Great British countryside. 

Stalls confirmed include.....

Cascade Boutique - Rachael makes fabulous vintage inspired jewellery and accessories

Creative Candles - Dharmesh's gorgeous scented teacup candles

The Vintage China Boutique - Caroline will bring a selection of beautiful vintage tea sets, cake stands and accessories for sale and for hire

Cooks Lane Herbs - Handmade local soaps from Sian

Love Vintage... Love Retro - A miscellany of vintage home and kitchen items plus buttons from Vicky

Honey Picked Vintage - Toni's hand selected mix of original vintage items

Johnson & Johnson Originals - Mum and daughter Linda and Amy's handmade and handcrafted items in wood and fabric

Little Barker Bakery - Tasty natural hand baked dog treats made with organic ingredients and tested on humans!

Sandra's Jams - Made on the farm by Sandra using all fresh fruit. From the farm to the kitchen to your jar!

Morsbags - nab your free eco friendly morsbags made from donated fabrics by volunteers (including me!!)

AND Daisy and Tallulah Vintage of course! I have a wide selection of china and glass ware, clothes and accessories plus handmade cards and gifts.

We also have live acoustic music from Beatles tribute band The Silver Threetles from 12.30 and ukulele band the SLUGs from 2pm. 

Lunches, homemade cakes and cream teas will be served in the Strawberry Tea Rooms all day plus garden plants from Hancock's Nurseries will be on sale. For kids, we have the play barn and Panning for Gems. And, of course, the massive PYO strawberry and raspberry fields. Yummy!

The gates open at 10am until 4pm - see you there x

Kat's surprise baby shower tea party

I had a fantastic day today with my latest travelling tea party. This time, we headed up the road to Broughton Astley. Gemma booked the party as a surprise baby shower for sister-in-law Kat and Val was the host, throwing open the doors of her amazing kitchen for us! Everyone had a lovely afternoon, Victoria sponge, chocolate fudge cake, scones and sandwiches were enjoyed by all and it was all very, very PINK!!

Coming soon... Vintage on the Farm

I'm organising a little vintage event in a couple of weeks time at Whetstone Pastures Farm, where I work part time through the summer. It promises to be a fantastic day - fingers crossed the heatwave lasts until then.... Thanks to Rachael from Cascade Boutique for designing the fabulous poster

Wartime Weekend 8 and 9 June 2013

What a fun weekend I've just had!

Sharing a unit at Greenacres with Caroline from The Vintage China Boutique as part of the Great Central Railway's Wartime Weekend. Fantastic vintage stalls, fabulous costumes, swinging music - it was a real step back in time to the 1940s. Tallulah the pug even came along with me on Sunday and made lots of new friends!

I took LOADS of photos and have created a little montage - take a look for a flavour of the event....!

Catch up time!

I haven't had time to blog for a loooong time.... Due to buying and selling houses, starting a new job, having a huge de-clutter..... And here we are in mid-May!

So, time for a catch up and update of my forthcoming events.

I am rather excited about next Tuesday as I will be trying my luck with a stall at Coalville Market. They are holding an Antiques and Collectors Fair from 8am - 2pm and there will be a special guest - James 'the Lionheart' Lewis, star of BBC1's Put You Money Where Your Mouth Is, Bargain Hunt and Flog It!

The next big event will be a 1940s weekend on the 8th/9th June at Greenacres, Birstall as part of the big World War Two event along the Great Central Railway. I'll be joining forces with Caroline from The Vintage China Boutique once again as we had such good fun there at Easter. I'm practising doing my hair in Victory Rolls and will be digging out my best vintage tea dress!

As part of my huge de-clutter, I have rediscovered all my childhood toys which I have stored in the loft for so long, they must now be vintage! Fisher Price, Sindy, Barbie, Star Wars, Lego, Playmobil...... All the old favourites. So I am soon either listing them on eBay or maybe even taking out a stall at a vintage toy fair: watch this space......

Busy, busy, busy!!

Not had a moment to spare in the last few weeks hence no time to blog! Here are a few highlights....

The Fleckney Craft Fair was great fun, on a beautifully sunny spring day (remember that?!) - I think the whole village turned out to support it.

Craft stall at Fleckney

The following week I represented Morsbags at the Green Fair in Burbage. I gave away 100 bags, some made by me, most made by the community service volunteers at Offcuts 2 who will soon celebrate making 20,000 Morsbags in the last 5 or so years. Amazing!

My next stop was at a Charity Pamper Day in Stoney Stanton, which I've just found out raised an incredible £900 for HOPE Romania. It was a lovely day and my new batch of vintage cake stands were very popular!

On Saturday, I battled through the snow to set up my pop up tea shop at the Avenue Road School Craft Fair. Thanks to the brave souls who turned up to support it!

Yesterday I served tea and cakes to the mums and dads at Wiggle-Jiggle Arts' Easter Craft Afternoon while the kids made cake pops, pompom Easter bunnies and glittery eggs. Great fun!

NEXT weekend, on Easter Sunday and Monday, I will be sharing a unit at Greenacres with The Vintage China Boutique as part of the Great Central Railway's Vintage Weekend. Fingers crossed that this freezing cold snap will be over by then (although we will be indoors!)........

Fleckney Craft Fair Today!

I can't believe it's Saturday already and I have another event. Later today, I'll be at Fleckney Village Hall selling vintage and handmade gifts and crafts, ideal presents for Mothering Sunday - it's a week tomorrow, don't forget!!

I'll be selling some of my hand knitted bowls, all made from recycled yarn and perfect for keeping jewellery, keys, mobile phone, coins or any bits and bobs in. I've also packaged some up with a pot of Sandra's Jam which make lovely gifts! Priced at £6 each - orders can be taken!

Perfect pots!

A busy week.....

Last Saturday, I was up at Greenacres in Birstall for their Wedding Fayre. It's a lovely venue, adjacent to the Great Central Railway's Leicester North station, with a great cafe and purpose built self contained units used for businesses and events. It is raised up so you get a great panoramic view of Leicester.

OK, it's not exactly Manhattan or the Paris skyline but nice all the same! As you can see, the weather was not exactly perfect for a wedding but nevertheless, I met some lovely people including my neighbouring stallholders. I sold a cake stand to the cafe too so if you call in for one of their delicious cakes, look out for the flowery one on the far left of the pic!

My stall

I made a good contact with Caroline from The Vintage China Boutique who sells and hires out vintage china. She is about to open a showroom in Aylestone which is launched on Mothering Sunday. More details soon! She also fell in love with my rosebud print tea set so I made a sale there.... Thanks! 

Later in the week, I made a more unusual sale. A local performer is planning a show all about tea and needed an old tea chest for a prop. I happened to have one! They are quite rare to get hold of these days and I was a little sad to see it go - but so pleased it's going on to stage stardom! Will put more details on here once I get them.........

The same day, I visited my new favourite shop - The Vintage Experience at South Wigston - with a few vintage items of clothing I thought Mel the owner might be interested in. I have been hanging on to them for a while but have got to spring clean my wardrobe, especially as I'll be moving house soon. Mel loved them and they're now on display in store with two of my coats - a beautiful wool and cashmere camel coat and a vintage 1960s Burberrys coat. My beautiful chocolate brown faux fur jacket - which I was reluctant to sell but was just too big for me..... - sold yesterday morning to a very satisfied customer!

While at the shop, I had to buy this gorgeous pin badge. It's made by a local 13 year old called Ella who makes beautiful things from felt, upcycled fabrics and hand printed labels. She obviously has a successful future in fashion ahead of her!

Tattoo badge by Ella's Place

Greenacres Wedding Fayre - this Saturday!

My first event of a busy Spring season is this Saturday at the Wedding Fayre at Greenacres in Birstall near Leicester. This looks like a lovely event in a nice setting - the cafe complex is adjacent to Leicester North Station on the old Great Central Railway.

I will be promoting my travelling tea parties - perfect for hen parties or smaller wedding receptions - and will be happy to discuss simply hiring out my vintage china collection for weddings. Samples of home made cake will be on offer too....

I will also be selling some of my upcycled vintage cake stands and some specially made 'Mr & Mrs' bunting!

Long time no blog....!

I've had a busy few weeks and have just realised I haven't blogged since Christmas! So much has happened, we've had heavy snow, a mini earthquake and this week the discovery of a certain King's bones buried in a Leicester car park which has caused much excitement in my home town!

January has been and gone, February is flying by and Spring is definitely on the horizon..... 

Spring is coming soon..... x

My diary is rapidly filling up with event bookings so here is a summary of where I'll be and what I'll be doing in the next few weeks. Maybe see you at one, some - or all of them!

• Sat 23rd February - Craft/Vintage stall at Greenacres Wedding Fair, Leicester North Station (Great Central Railway) LE4 3BR - 10.30am - 4.30pm
• Sat 2nd March - Craft/Vintage stall at Fleckney Village Fete, LE8 8TS - 1 - 4pm
• Sat 9th March - Morsbags making/giveaway at Burbage Green Fair, LE10 2AW - 10am - 3pm
• Sat 16th March - Craft/Vintage stall at Charity Pamper Day, Living Rock Church, Stoney Stanton LE9 4LU - 10am - 4pm
• Sat 23rd March - Travelling tea party stall at Avenue Road School Craft Fair LE2 3EJ - times TBC
• Sun 24th March - Travelling tea party for Wiggle Jiggle Arts Easter Baking & Craft Afternoon, Narborough

I will add more info and more events as I get them. Looking forward to getting out on the road again!