Taking a break

Hi All

We're moving house yet again - it's only been 11 months since the last move - one of the down sides of renting in this country. Anyhoo, I'm going to be taking a break from this blog and from my Etsy shop.

I've really enjoyed blogging and running the shop but lately I've had more and more demands on my time. Good things mostly - things that I'd like to concentrate on for a while. Sadly, this means that I've put my shop on vacation and won't be posting any more blogs - at least for a few months. I'll continue to sell some vintage on Ebay and plan to do a couple of car boot sales in the Trowbridge area. I'm having a huge cull of possessions so that I can start my new home with less 'stuff'!

So, I'm going to move to our new home, enjoy settling in and concentrate on yoga, music and crafts. I'll continue to post on my English Rose Vintage Facebook page so do pop over there and 'like' it and you'll continue to see what I'm up to! 

Thank you for dropping by and taking the time to read my ramblings ...

Best wishes

Melanie

Antibes Green

Hi all

I picked up an old wooden tray and an embroidered tray cloth at a junk shop in Ross on Wye the other day and thought I'd show you their transformation.

I have a tin of Annie Sloan 'Antibes Green' paint that I'm planning to revamp a display cabinet with but that's going to be a big project so in the meantime I used a little of it on this tray.

This is the tray after the first coat of chalk paint - still a bit of the wood showing through.

You don't need to do any preparation or rubbing down with this chalk paint, so I simply wiped the dirt off first. This is the tray when the second coat was drying.

I left it to dry overnight and then applied a coat of clear wax (also Annie Sloan) with a soft cloth, giving it a gentle buff to a soft shine.

This is the finished result. I'm going to leave it for a couple of days before using it to ensure it's completely dry. 

The tray cloth just needed a good soak to remove a couple of stains and it came up beautifully.

I love the embroidery on this cloth and it goes so well with the green tray.

Now I'm putting together a tea set to go with it - I have the teapot and milk jug so just need to find some cups and saucers!

Pretty Pomanders

Hi there

Last weekend we spent a day at the Hay Festival and the next day explored a little of the Forest of Dean. The Festival was lovely, relaxed, interesting and in beautiful surroundings. We listened to a talk by Alex Bellos (a journalist with an interest in maths) about people's emotional responses to numbers, which was fascinating. But we were mainly there to see Jim Al-Khalili, president of the British Humanist Association, giving a talk about humanism and atheism. He was very eloquent on the subject and it was lovely to feel the response of the audience to his talk. Next year I think we should try and go for longer. There are so many interesting things going on at Hay.

We drove slowly home the next day, via the Forest of Dean. It was one of those lush, warm sunny days when everything looks full-on, green, abundant. We stopped off at a craft centre and I picked up a collection of pretty vintage pomanders from a vintage shop.

Faded blooms and faded scents - I love these ceramic pomanders. I'm tempted to keep a couple for myself but I've started listing some in my Etsy shop. 

Hope you are having a peaceful and happy weekend.

Melanie

Padded Table Runner

Hi folks

I bought a selection of pretty fabrics in Frome a while ago and have been unsure what to do with them. I had half an idea of trying a kind of 'cheat's patchwork' but in the end decided to have a go at sewing together simple alternating strips. I've got quite a bit of it - two sets of strips are waiting to make cushion covers for some bench seats - but I had enough left over to do something with and decided to make a padded, heat-proof table runner. 

Here's how it went ...

... I first cut the fabric into strips of the same width, then sewed them all together, alternating the patterns, until I had a long piece like this. I turned the long edges in by 1cm and ironed in place.

I then cut out another piece of fabric (this time part of an old Ikea quilt cover) slightly larger than my strip of fabric - about 3cm larger all the way around.

(In retrospect I should have turned the ends of the strip in by 1cm too as this would have given an even border around the outside, but you live and learn!)

With the fabric right sides together, I matched the long edges together, pinned and stitched along them both, leaving a 1cm seam allowance.

I then stitched along one short edge, stopping before I got to the corners. I pulled the long pocket of fabric out the right way and pressed it flat - neatening the corners by folding them into a sort of mitre. 

Then stitched them in place by hand, making sure I didn't stitch through the back too as I still had to insert some foam padding.

I had a strip of foam that was the padding in an old ironing board cover. (I don't throw much away!) So I cut this to fit inside what was now a long fabric pocket.

Once inside, I put a few pins across and down the runner to hold the foam in place.

Then I took a deep breath and started quilting through the whole lot with the machine, creating a simple wave pattern from one end to the other. 

I'd never done this before so it was a bit wobbly at times but great fun and will certainly do the job of holding the layers together.  

To neaten the look, I stitched closely to the inside edge of the border fabric. One end was still open so I trimmed up the foam, folded in the hems and stitched across to finish it off - doing the same to the corners as I had before.

Finally, ironed on both sides, the runner is ready to go!

My new motto is 'don't let lack of experience or skill stop you from having a go'!

Thanks

Hi folks

Been rather poorly for the last week so have been mostly sleeping with occasional spells of reading Lord Peter Wimsey or watching made for TV Christmas movies. I was planning to start getting the house ready for Christmas - the decorations are out of the loft and the living room is now cleared of all my vintage stash, so we're ready to get going. I just need a bit more energy first! Think we will pop up the road to the local garden centre for our tree this afternoon and we can slowly make a start. I expect the rest of the day will be spent snuggled on the sofa.

Thank you to all the lovely customers we had at the Frome Super Market last Sunday. We had a brilliant day and had lots of sales too. I enjoyed interacting with customers and it was interesting to see the sort of things people were looking for. We'll be back at the markets in the Spring and I should have a bigger and better collection of goodies by then too.

Take care folks!

Melanie Melanie
English Rose Vintage

Market Day

Hi folks!

We're definitely on for the Frome Super Market this Sunday. We had a trial run with the gazebo in our garden last weekend and I think things were looking pretty good. We planned the layout and took photos too so that we can set up more quickly on the day. It's a long time since we did a market (back in our chocolate making days) so we're really looking forward to it. 

It's a special extended market from 10am to 4pm so we'll have plenty of selling time. There are going to be a bumper number of stalls too and some interesting music during the day. Take a look at the market facebook page for a taster of what's coming. 

If you're in the area and can get to the market do pop along and see us. Anyone who mentions this blog will get a special 10% discount on our stall too.

Bye for now ...

Supersized sketch pad

Hi folks! 

I'm still fiddling about in our spare room, trying to turn it into a useful and inspiring work space. This morning I decided to transform my rather dull grey plastic crafting table into a useful sketch pad and doodling spot. I don't want to run to the expense of a new table when I have a perfectly functional one already but it is a very uninspiring, if practical, plastic fold up table. Great for doing fairs and shows but not great to look at on a daily basis and hardly conducive to flights of creative fancy.

I had thought about putting a pretty cloth over it but I need this table to be practical, especially when I begin to experiment with the resin jewellery again. Resin spills on paper are easy to deal with but resin on a plastic table may well stay there for ever. So, having seen something similar in a silver-smith's work room, I thought how positively spiffy it would be to have a table covered in paper so that I could scribble notes, designs, doodles, whatever, to my heart's content and then just screw it up and recycle when I'm done!

This very simple transformation required a box of greaseproof baking paper, scissors and sticky tape. Simply stretch out the paper, tuck over each end and stick in place. Pop a few extra strips of sticky tape at intervals to prevent it moving about too much. Repeat with another strip overlapping the last one, etc., until table is perfectly covered in paper. The table is plastic so there will be no harm in sticking the greaseproof paper to it with sticky tape.

There we have it - a supersized sketch pad. 

Perfect for researching my latest treasures and taking notes as I go or scribbling ideas as they pop into my head. 

What will you be doing today?

Take care folks

Melanie Melanie

Open for business

I got the bed. We picked it up yesterday and after a lot of huffing and swearing managed to put it together. It takes up quite a bit of the spare bedroom but as it serves as a day bed, pulls out into a double and has massive drawers for storage, it's going to prove a really useful bit of furniture. It's a perfect lounging spot for reading and snoozing too - I've tested it already. I covered it with a quilt I made with Hawaiian fabric years ago and a couple of cushions and throws for snuggling.

The other good news is the English Rose Vintage shop is open for business again at last. Best of all, Etsy has finally rolled out the facility to accept credit card payments and Etsy Gift Cards to the UK - thanks Etsy! So now it is possible to buy an Etsy Gift Card to be used in our shop or pay for your goods by card instead of PayPal.

I mentioned before that I'd already made some great vintage discoveries for the shop since we moved. Here's a sneaky preview of my favourites. 

I was very excited when I got my hands on these beautiful petit point boxes and tray.

There are two gilt boxes with hand stitched petit point flower panels in different designs. The petit point is in lovely condition as both have been protected by their original plastic covers. The covers need a bit of a clean up to show off the stitching to best advantage so I shall be doing that before I list them.

The tray is quite beautiful, with an embroidered central panel surrounded by lace held between two pieces of glass in a gilt frame. 

Such a pretty set. Can't wait to get these in the shop, although they would look so good on my new dressing table. I must resist temptation...

I have plans for a revamp of the shop soon. I'm working on a new look including banner, avatar, etc. The plan is to use some lino cutting equipment I received as a gift to make my own design, which I will print onto business cards, postcards, tea towels, and anything else I can think of or get my hands on. My aim for this week is to transfer my first design to the lino block and cut it out. I will show you the results - even if it's a disaster!

  

Sorted!

Well, the gorgeous 1950s wardrobes and dressing table were delivered by two burly chaps from the second-hand store and have now taken pride of place in our bedroom. I was very relieved to find that they did fit after all. I had somewhat guessed their sizes as I hadn't taken a tape measure with me when we bought them. 

They are very heavy so we were glad of the help in getting them into place. The wood is a beautiful warm honey colour with a delightful pattern to it.

We have a wardrobe each and I, naturally, nabbed the one with most hanging space. Both are beautifully made and they even have hidden drawers in the bottom. We searched for a hidden drawer in the dressing table - hoping for treasure or long lost love letters - but sadly no joy there.

The lovely handles look like glass but are actually plastic. I'm so glad we spotted these - such luck!

We have spent this weekend clearing the mess that is the second bedroom and transforming it into a workspace come spare room. We just need a guest bed now - I'm bidding on one on Ebay now but don't hold out much hope of winning - wish me luck!

More next time on some fabulous finds from our local car boot sale and a pretty floral lace panel I bought on Ebay for the bedroom window.

Take care till then and have a happy week,

Melanie

Pies and Wardrobes

Hi all

The pie was fab-u-lous. Sorry about the rather awful photo but I snapped this quickly while we were both drooling in anticipation of PIE.

It was very easy to make. I used ready-made pastry to save on time and the addition of big juicy blackberries with the apple was a definite success. My pie dish isn't very deep so there was enough of the filling mix left over to fill two large ramekins and top them off with a circle of pastry. The cinnamon topping was delicious and, although there didn't seem to be much of it when I crumbled it on, it did spread and cover the top of the pie during cooking. I left the sides rustic, rather than crimped, but probably should have brushed them with a little egg or milk too. All in all, it was a great success and no doubt we will be making this again.

I went back to check out those beautiful 1950s wardrobes today and they are on their way! I couldn't pass up the chance of having the matching dressing table too - so crossing everything that they will all fit in the bedroom. There are two matching wardrobes and a lovely mirrored dressing table, all in honey coloured wood, with pretty glass knobs. 

I'm all set for starting my new job - clothes are pressed, new notebook and pen packed ready, nerves on edge. Tomorrow we are having a day off from unpacking - the choice of where we go is all mine so I just need to decide now ...

Take care people,

Melanie

Rose Cottage

Hi all

I'm writing this in the kitchen of our new home. It's been a mammoth week and every part of me aches but we've made it here at last. As usual I underestimated the quantity of possessions we (primarily 'I') own but we made sure that our most precious items weren't left behind...

We had to make several trips between Basingstoke and Bath in the end. 

And Leigh had to murder our old sofa ... which was too unsafe for even the charity shop to take. This was the only way we could get it out of the house without taking off the front door!

We've spent the last two days unpacking and still have rather a long way to go. Leigh will be alphabetising the CDs and books - I do believe he loves moving just so that he can do this (!) I will continue to try and squeeze everything into the kitchen although I don't understand how I can have a kitchen twice the size of my last one but still not have room for everything. Where did it all go?

Having said that - I saw a sign today for an undercover car boot sale that starts in October. That's going to be impossible to resist so I'm going to need to organise the spare room pronto to justify bringing any more stuff into the house. 

We're already tried our local chippy - that was our first supper here. It's within walking distance of our new home (if our legs weren't hurting so much) and the fish and chips were not bad at all. We've also tried a local curry house but we have several more to try until we can choose 'the one'. The choice of 'the one' is based on the quality of the Chicken Dhansak (my husband's favourite) and may take some time and a lot of testing. Once chosen 'the one' will be used frequently and it won't matter too much how far we have to travel. We used to drive through snow and ice to get a curry when we lived in North Yorkshire - nothing will get in the way of my man and his favourite curry house.

We're so happy to be here at last - it hasn't quite sunk in. The rooms are light - which is brilliant as our last place was like a cave and we needed lights on at all times of day. We can watch the sun setting from the room at the back of the house too - and it's so quiet. No noisy trains passing in the middle of the night. We have so much more space than before - it feels quite odd though that we can sit in different rooms. We keep checking whether the other one is OK.

It is weirdly appropriate that our front door is emblazoned with a rose - so we have named the place Rose Cottage. It's not really a cottage (more of a bungalow) but it makes the place sound cozy and couldn't be more fitting for our English Rose HQ.

We still have a ton of things to do here. We spotted some lovely 1950s wardrobes in a thrift shop nearby but unfortunately it wasn't open so we will have to go back tomorrow and check if they are the right size. There's also a beautiful dressing table as part of the set - I'm seriously wondering whether the bedroom will look too full if we get that too.

We've already invested in a new sofa from Ikea - after years of second hand ones we thought this would be our main treat. We've also picked up an Ercol coffee table on Ebay that looks great with my Nan's old display cabinet. It can be hard to feel very inspired about rental homes but I'm hoping that I can create the kind of home we wish for even though we're limited to what we can do here. 

My next task though is to make this Sour Cream and Apple pie. I'm going to add some blackberries too as there are so many around at the moment. Fingers crossed it will taste as phenomenal as it looks.

I have two more days at home before I start my new job. Time to find my work clothes and try to get my mind in the right place. I have lots of plans for the future and look forward to sharing them with you...

Take care folks

Melanie

English Rose

From B to B

Hi all

Things have been a little quiet on the blog for a while and I've temporarily shut down my English Rose Vintage Etsy shop - but there's a good reason for this - I've got a new job in Bath and we're moving house! Bath is such a beautiful city - we really can't wait to get over there. It also has great associations for us as we took our honeymoon there back in 2000. So life has consisted of packing boxes and bubble wrap for the last few weeks and there's been lots of driving back and forth between Basingstoke and Bath.

We're going to have much more space than we do now and I have lots of plans. I've even been making scaled drawings of the rooms on squared paper and moving around little paper versions of our furniture. Does anyone else do this - my husband thinks I'm hilarious! I find myself lying awake at night, not worrying about the new job or the move, but planning cushion covers, colour schemes and furniture restorations.

Just a few miles from our new home is the fantastic Glove Factory Cafe in Holt. I can see this becoming a firm favourite.

The food is amazing and I love the colourful origami bird mobiles. Next time we go I will even think to take some pictures of the food - I'm afraid I was so hungry and it was so delicious I'd eaten it before it occurred to me. The old factory buildings in Holt are fabulous too.

I'm planning a relaunch of the shop once we are a bit more settled and I can find everything again. I have plans for a new banner and logo - which will depend a lot on learning a new skill - more on that later! I must get off now and do some more tidying and packing. 

Aren't these little fellows adorable?

I saw them under the sink in the cafe loos

they look so sad and forlorn

I may have to go back and rescue some ...

Bye bye peeps,

Take care