Hello to you all,

                   I would like to wish you all a Very Merry and Christmas and a Happy New Year
                                                                with lots of love xxxx

All the fun of the fair....

On Saturday I was off to Wanstead, East London to do a vintage fair, David couldn't make it that day so I took my cousin Tina instead.  So off we went at 5:30am fully equipt with a borrowed SatNav, how fantastic are they!!!!!????? I have never used one but hey I did'nt get lost once and for me that's a miracle.

This weekend I am off the Bournemouth, with David this time, to do a vintage fair in the Pavilion.  I haven't done this one before but apparently it's fab, so if you are near Bournemouth on Sunday 12th December 10am-4pm, why not call by and say hello. x

A Problem Shared

Am I really sad or just obsessed???!!!!!  I spend every spare moment either knitting, crocheting or creating something out of nothing. My husband says I can't just sit still and relax, but this IS how I relax......I can't just sit and do nothing, what a waste of time. I am sure most of you feel the same way as I do.
However, this is possibly where the problems begin. When I go out I just want to be back at home knitting etc....so much so that I seem to want to rush home and create.
Oh no do I have a problem????!!!!!

Look where I'm going...

I really can't wait to go to the Knit and Stitch Show on Friday.  I will be going with my Aunty Dilys as I did last year and it was fab.  We always choose the Friday as Thursday is full of textile students and the weekend is manic.
I have been frequenting the show for several years now and it is the highlight of my year on the run up to christmas.  Packed full of ideas and inspiration, hey, may even see you there!!!????

Oh what a very special purchase.....

I so love the kitchness of this most wonderful bust.  Madonna and child have pride of place in my sitting room, I have had mixed reactions to this most beautiful treasure......Their faces are serene and when I look at them I feel happy.

Didn't we have a lovely time......Southwold

the most beautiful place on a warm sunny day....

I have just spent the most wonderful weekend with 19 dear friends at the seaside.  We took over the garden behind the Swan and stayed in the Lighthouse rooms, which I would thoroughly recommend, in fact we have booked again for next year.

We are all friends with thanks to Jolie in Walkern, where we knit and chat and put the world to rights.

Work in progress.....a crocheted cushion.

I did manage to get some knitting done during the course of the weekend and was going for the medal on who did the most knitting, I think I won!!!!

Ooooooh look, I could have done a Shirley Valentine in Suffolk.

Vintage Fair

We so enjoyed the Vintage Fair last Sunday in Hitchin, the picture above is my stall at the Vintage Fair in Harpenden in May.......unfortunately the pictures taken on Sunday are a bit of a blur, but I will share them with you anyway.

Once I figure out how, I will be opening a blog shop......any advice would be more than welcome.

My next Vintage Fair will be on September 12th in Berkampsted.

Vintage Lipstick will be appearing at ................

Hitchin's Vintage Fair
 on
Sunday 11th July
at
Hitchin Town Hall
10am - 4pm

Can't wait.......please come and introduce yourself.......xxxx

Buttons......

Everyone loves buttons, apparently there is such thing as a button phobia, but we don't have that!!! We love them! and not necessarily just for functional fastening but for embellishing and adorning.

My lovely friend Hellie gave me this wonderful bag last year which I customised with buttons.  Go see other customised bags at http://www.duttonsforbuttons.co.uk/ and why not do one for yourself.
Speak soon Donna xx

Walberswick, Suffolk

Oh how I love this place, so unspoiled.

Have I got news for you!!!

Vintage Lipstick  will be in Wanstead, London E11. on Saturday 19th June..........Yes folks I will be there, if you manage to drop by please introduce yourself, I would love to meet you.  For details see http://www.lovevintage.co.uk/


In the meantime I have been busy making bags out of vintage fabric......

I haven't knitted for ages now, I have been busy crocheting away making cushion, throws and little puffs.  I do love the instant gratification that crochet gives, I like to see a piece grow before me and turn into an heirloom or something lovely to sell.
Little Puffs, yes, that's right, Little Puffs..........

I purchased this lovely book and .............

inside I found this.......I like it, I don't love it, but I wanted to try and make it as it is unlike anything I have made before and I was intrigued.

So I have been very busy making little puffs..........           

                                    I have to make 168!!!!!!

Really I can't wait to start putting them together.

And if thats not enough I have also finished a cushion to sell at the Vintage Fair.  As always the pictures don't really do it justice, even if I say so myself! It is about 56cm x 56cm so quite large and I love the colours, very 1940's I feel especially when you see it in the flesh (wool) oh you know what I mean.

    And not forgetting the back


The cushion is fastened with random buttons down one side but I forgot to photograph it.......

Hey everyone......I'm back!!
So sorry for the long pause, have had loads going on recently.....

Amellia my lovely daughter, who is 14, is having a lumbar injection on Tuesday, we are trying not to think about it at the moment, but after the injection she will have to have an operation on her spine as she has a condition called...here we go.....wait for it......Spondylolisthesis, which is a displacement of a vertebra. Amellia has been in a lot of pain for the last 2 years, so although scared, she is also happy to at last be getting something done.
Hugs and kisses my darling x

I will be at the Vintage Fair in Harpenden, Hertfordshire on the 16th May. Such a lovely day out with some fabulous stalls full of vintage delights, if you can make it it's well worth a trip....watch this space for more details...

Engagement

My baby boy is engaged!! (well he's 24, but still my baby)

Congratulation Tom and Scarlett

Love you

Vintage Fair

I had the most fantastic time on Sunday at the Vintage Fair in the Town Hall.  There were the most amazing people and lots and lots of wonderful vintage stuff!!! I will be doing another one in May and can't wait.
It doesn't look brilliant and certainly doesn't capture the atmosphere but this is my little table with some of my homemade things.

~~ Get Hooked on the Hook ~~

Clever Girl!

Aaaaaah look what my lovely 14 year old daughter Amellia has made in her textile class at school.  She designed it and its full of lavender and smells just divine, clever girl!

In the background is a doll I rescued from a flea market, I think she's really cute, but everyone else thinks she looks like 'Chucky'. I will make some nice clothes for her, when I get around to it.

I love vintage fabric,tablecloths and curtains......my particular favourite fabric is bark cloth, I just love it.  I love the texture and weight, it always feels so substantial.  I am slowly building my collection, hanging on a cupboard waiting to be used very soon are some lovely pieces.

(My photographs are not very good.......sorry!)

I have used some of the fabric to back one my crocheted lap blankets and am in the process of making another one.

Just a couple of weeks ago Tom heard meowing at his kitchen door, well he thought Tiger his cat was outside and being a house cat he was obviously worried.  But no, he saw a very sad, hungry, dirty little black and white kitten, his neighbour, who is a nurse at the vets checked the kitten and although not chipped and apart from the obvious state of neglect was otherwise healthy.  So Tom, Scarlett (his fiancee) and Tiger have decided to share their home with him and he is now a loved and pampered addition to the family........

......his name? Oh, Captain Jack Sparrow.......'Sparrow' to his friends.
Of course Captain Jack, as I like to call him, will have to take a visit to the vets as Tiger is female and we would'nt want anymore little suprises.

I went to the shop to take a look at the Swan, however, my son Tom was with me and put me off, so I left the shop forlorn and sad as he did'nt share in my excitement.  But I knew this beautiful Swan should be mine and all afternoon it was on my mind, I did'nt care if Tom thought it was an ugly duckling, I had to have it, so I went back and hey presto..........it's mine!!!

What do you think...........no really??

I love it and every time I walk past it I have to look at it.  It's china, made in Dartmouth, Devon and quite heavy, I think it may be 1950's but don't really know.

The Swan......

I am so pleased it's Thursday........no work tomorrow!!
I will however be on a mission tomorrow. Driving past the Garden House Hospice shop in town last night and waiting at the traffic lights I happened to notice a beautiful swan bowl/vase, yes it was dark so I couldn't get a good look, but tomorrow I will be going to have a good look and check the price, if it's still there!

It looked vintage and I can remember my Granny having one, so if it is what I expect and is still there I will be going to make a special purchase and will reveal all next week.

Time............

I have had a very productive week, this was one of the weeks that I only work on Monday and Friday so I get a lot of ME time........how lucky I am, I do know that I am lucky and after many years of working full time, including Saturdays, I really appreciate my time.

I knit, I crochet, I paint (pictures & furniture), I sew, I make jewellery ooooooh I do loads and I make loads, but what I really love best is that I can now make time!!! That is always the hardest thing to make, but yesterday I made some, so much so that I spent time with my lovely friends at Jolie knitting and chatting and I can assure you that was time very well spent. If you want to see what I'm talking about why not check out their blog http://www.jolie-home.blogspot.com/

This is the dresser in my kitchen. I bought this last year off ebay intending to paint it straight away as I hate the way it is, but as you can see almost a year later still as horrible as it was, until..........




















I made a start..........and then

........painted it the wrong colour!!!! I then had to go and get the right colour and hey presto.....grey.....

.......thats more like it.......watch this space for the finished article handles and all.

But if that wasn't enough, I have undercoated a table which I hope to finish at the weekend............and if thats not enough I am in the throws of backing another crocheted blanket and crocheting another one!.......phew.......and in between all of this I am making time, because time is what I don't have enough of!!

Aaaaaah Thursday.....

Aaaah Thursday......thank the lord! I'm not working tomorrow so shall be nipping into town to have a rummage around the flea market. I will pop in to Jess and arrange those dates for the workshops.
Luckily I only work 3 days one week and 2 days the next so have plenty of me time......yes, I know I am lucky, but there you go.
My children Alex 15 and Amellia 14 have asked if they can go camping on Friday night with a group of friends, well, talk about removing me kicking and screaming from my comfort zone, of course the answer is NO! a big fat NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!! Am I being too strict, am I a paranoid mother, am I just spoiling their fun????? No I don't think so either.....I have anticipated your reply.......The thing is, they don't yet know that they can't go. I, on the other hand am pre-empting world war III.  "But so and so's allowed to go and he/she's younger than me!!"..........."I don't care, I'm not so and so's mother, and I'm telling you, you can't go!". Yes, this is how my Thursday evening will pan out. Oh the joys of parenthood.

A wonderful day....

I spent the most wonderful day on Saturday with my dear friend Jess in her lovely shop Rositta Lollipop chatting and faffing......oh and serving customers in between!

Above is just a taster of this amazing shop.

I have been busy, busy, busy with my crocheting and my latest blanket is beginning to take shape........watch this space.......Above is a picture of one completed and for sale. This blanket has the most beautiful 50's style printed fabric backing, but the next blanket will have an original vintage backing, so I am so excited.....I am collecting original vintage fabric.....so if you have any spare, it would be very welcome.

My knitting and crocheting workshops will resume in March at Rositta Lollipop shop, once we have dates organised I will post them.

Outwardly, I don't appear to be very busy, but believe me, in my head I am rushed off my feet!!!

Up and Running........

Hi everyone,

Yes, I'm back, it's been a long time I know.

Hope you all had a great christmas, yes I know it's almost February, where did January go!!!

I have been very busy knitting, crocheting and sewing......and look I have been making dolls, what do you think?

I am in the process of making blankets.......watch this space for an update.