Flea Market Finds - Shades of Miss Havisham

My computer is still on the go slow, but the naked ladies have gone thanks to the purchase of a new Norton.

I am playing again with Sophie over at Her Library Adventures. Just a couple of things were found this week.

Firstly my very excellent olde brief case...all leather. It is a bit battered and needs a some TLC, but it is perfect to keep everything organised. I wasn't sure where to put it in this house that is beginning to burst at the seams with all of the paraphenalia that I am collecting. I tried two places where it looked ever so chi chi, but unfortunately where feet seemed to trip over. After much deliberation on my part, I have decided that it looks just right inside the front door. (Why is this? Did Mr Brady put his case down inside the front door?) I think it will live there for quite a while gathering a shroud of dust, because I just don't seem to get around to my many makeovers.

Speaking of shrouds. Here's a beauty! A fly covering with gorgeous little crocheted ladies. I baked a whole lot of patty cakes for a workshop my daughter hosted to assist in her HSC art work yesterday. Very Miss Havisham. You can see some of the works in the background. She wants to make 150 figures from clay, so I think I will be baking a few dozen patty cakes over the holidays. Although there aren't that many bugs around this time of the year, the covering gives the cakes a certain regal air!

Flea Market Finds-Kitsch, Bris Style and other stuff

Lots of little bits and pieces this week. Plus I am very proud of myself, I only spent one day visiting op-shops, and I had a chance to visit a motza that I don’t usually get to, but I remained strong, denying myself the impulse. I feel a better person for it. I do, I truly do. (she said, doth protesting too much!)

But before we get into all of that, I am pretty happy to announce that I am now a member of the Bris Style Team! They have gathered me into their arms and made me feel very welcome! Thank-you all for taking this little black duck in from the cold!  

Now back to the nitty and the gritty. Sparky rolled his eyes when he saw this one. It is a letter holder with a 3D Last Supper picture. Tres kitsch, but a great place to rest my address book.

Also an old Pascal lolly tin, and a kitsch koala spoon stand. It drives me crazy that people (no names) make a cuppa and leave the spoon on the counter, leaving sticky messes everywhere. Which resulted in the argument that the spoon rester has to be washed, so it doesn't make sense. Regardless, the spoon rester has stayed and WILL be used!

An old Australiana tablecloth in a great waffle weave, and with every Aussie animal imaginable, but somehow looking like some Arcadian English countryside.

More Kathie Winkle. I actually have a full six place setting of this design, but I broke two saucers recently…so…I thought…always need for more!

And lastly, some wonderful old carpentry tools. I’ll clean ‘em up a treat, give them a bit of oiling and hang them up on the wall.

Well, that is it for the Flea Market Finds this week in my little patch of paradise. Pop over the Sophies and have a gawk at everyone else’s treasures. Oh and one more thing, my internet is absolutely awful at the moment. Really, really slow plus we have had some kind of Trojan Horse that loads naked ladies on the screen, even when we haven't opened up the internet! I often try and leave comments on other blogs, but they just don't load...very frustrating. So lest you think I am being very rude and snobbish, I am trying to leave comments and visit everyone who visits me, I am just in a ghostly form at present. xxNick

My creative space - Crochet Garlands and a Shameful Secret

I wandered over to Brunswick Heads on the weekend to attend their Old & Gold mammoth garage sale. It was garage sale heaven with more than 60 garage sales were held in the pretty little town. Being the thrifty Miss that I am, I didn't come away with alot, but one of my best finds was a box of lovely cream crochet flowers.

Now I can't crochet, or even knit really well. I tried again on the weekend with a trusty book of instruction, but I seem to be all fingers and thumbs. You see, my left-handed mother taught my right-handed self how to knit and crochet. As a result, I am quite spastic in the way I go through the motions. My aunt on seeing me in my sad but proud attempts screamed (and I mean screamed) "What are you doing Nick, that is not how you knit! You'll do yourself an injury!" I was scarred for life and was determined not to put myself in such a shameful situation again.

As a result, I bought a box of flowers to make into garlands. I can chain stitch, but I do it furtively, as I know I am not doing it 'quite' like normal people. I have put the garland in my back room (TV room for watching footy) which is really very masculine and mid-century modern, and they don't look out of place at all..they seem to balance everything out by giving a bit of feminity and prettiness.

I pictures don't really do it justice, as my camera is so appalling. As they look so pretty I am making them for my etsy shop...and that is my creative space for this week. Pop over to Kootoyoo for more creative goodness.

What is this!

I have had a 'nesting' kind of Queens Birthday weekend, staying in my jarmies and mucking around with the new Blogger Design. It is still a mystery to me how I ever passed anything to do with Photoshop at uni. Jeez, I hate it it with a passion! It took me hours to do this simple header, and then I just gave up. Threw my hands in the air, gave up, and stormed off and made a fruit cake, a lemon tart and passionfruit tartlets. At least I could enjoy the efforts I put into those, and get fat to boot!

Anyway the new design is a work in progress. I wanted to create a visual brand so that when I hawk my wares, the merchandise would be recognisable. Hmph, methinks I am putting in alot of effort for a couple of bucks, but it keeps me out of mischief.

Anyhoo, the real reason for the post is this.

Does anyone know what it is? It is only small, 6cm high by 4 cm wide and has a suction cup on the end. The plastic is all one piece.

I got it in a box of crocheted flowers at a garage sale. The woman who sold it to me said it was used to crochet said flowers, but I can't work out how. I think she lied to me.

Flea Market Finds - Cardboard Lady and more Barkcloth

Marked Original Filmdruck Indanthren

The barkcloth heard the call of the siren and came to me this week. I found quite a few pieces, however, nothing outstanding. Please excuse the pics, I took them while the fabric was drying on the line. I  looked up Filmdruck and it simply means screen printing in German and Indanthren is a type of dye. Hmph, pretty banal. At least I know the fabric is German though.

Marked Tasman Design by Sheridan

It all goes on my modest barkcloth pile that I rarely touch...just look at.

 But the Oprah ah-ha moment, the big thrill of the week was when I peeked inside a cardboard box and found this.

It is a pristine, unused Form-o-matic dummy that has never been used! It was originally packed in 1974 and I believe I was the first person to touch it since then... the box was sealed.

It is comprised of a whole lot of flat-packed patterns of the female form, like a dress pattern, which are put together with special studs to create your own torso. Cool bananas!

Once I have put it together I will post a pic of the amazing..Form-o-matic! Pop over to Sophies for more Flea Market Finds.

WOO-OOO

I have just finished sewing my daughter's ghost dress for her Trivia Night tomorrow. Her team is "Ghost Busters".  She wanted to go as an Edwardian lady who drowned on the Titanic, and underneath that shawl she looks pretty damn good! She has all the bits and bobs, ready to go, long beads, fan, gloves, white face paint and talcum powder for her hair. The team are going to suck Ghost Drops to make their lips blue.

I've made the dress so that it floats as she goes. We think it is very Valentino, darling. The most beautiful ghost dress eva!

Cumquats and Passionfruit

I have finally cracked the "Jam making code"! It is so simple, but it seems the purists prefer not to use it. 'It' being a simple thermometre. All you have to do it get the jam to reach 104 degrees celcius. That is the setting temperature. And that is it! (Given that the sugar and pectin are OK) I rolled out some cumquat jam yesterday in no time flat ...once I inserted said thermometre.

I have a whole orchard of citrus and am going to get jamming, now that I have achieved the Jam Making Hurdle in life! Today will be Lime.

Also, our passionfruit this year are phenomonal! Have a look at the size of them and I have bigger coming on! I have had years of my passionfruit dying and being temperamental. I put in some new black passionfruit last year around the chook pen. They must be a newer hardier larger cultivar, plus it must be the perfect situation, as we have  about a hundred coming on. Also on the cooking list for today, Passionfruit Butter. North Coast National  Show, here I come!

Liz Taylor - White petticoat

I found this bri-nylon full length petticoat when looking for a white dress to make into a ghost costume for my girlie. It is a beauty, with wonderful nylon sunray pleating and gorgeous machine embroidered polyester lace (the good kind). Very Liz Taylor in "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof." And it fits! It is a larger size which means it is todays size 12. It would be a perfect little dress.

I am giving it to my sis as I am a complete dag. Although I absoloutely adore fashion, have worked in the industry and have an encyclopedic knowledge of it, I would be happy to spend the rest of my days in my farm gear: boots, cargo pants/trackies, old t-shirts. It is a very lazy way to live, I don't think that it is very healthy, but living in the country you do loose track of these kind of things. Methinks I need a makeover, but I just can't be bothered. Oh well.

Flea Market Finds - Frankie inspired room

Every time I go op-shopping, my daughter screams out,"If you see anything for me, get it!" She has gradually been putting together her Frankie inspired room for a few months now, so I thought I would show you some of the bits and pieces we have collected.

Bingo pieces-Grafton opshop, Wooden puzzle McLean Op-shop

Cushions-Casino Lifeline, Tablecloth/Bedspead-Adelaide oppy

My sis tells me that these kind of cushions are all over Sydney at the mo, but they are new. We like the old olive and gold colours

Plaster Dog-Farm auction, Copper girl, Mclean oppy

Collection of glass necklaces- everywhere

Bunnies-Lismore lifeline, Old books-Lismore Library

Big eyed girl picture-Salvos, Lismore

Beauty case-Tip shop

2nd hand books-Lismore Library

I won't even list all of these!

Whew...well that is some of the stuff we have collected, and like her dear old mum, she wants more! Pop over to Sophies and have  a squiz at at more treasures.

Hawking my wares

I have decided to be like Apple Annie (Guys and Dolls) and hawke my wares at some of the boutique type stores on the coast. Before I could do that though, I needed to organise better visual packaging, and so I devised a card that contains my beautiful bunting and garlands. The image I have used is from the 100 year old Ugly Duckling Book I found here. The swan is so joyous and happy! The lines are so simple, yet they evoke so much emotion.

To define the difference between bunting and garlands, I have placed miniatures on the front. I think they look very nice indeedy, and really succeed in giving a background and story to the garlands and bunting. Much more preferable to cellophane bags. Hopefully customers will want to pick them up and engage their imaginations in the product. I can but try! 

Hmm, on second thoughts maybe I won't be like Apple Annie, (she liked the gin too much) maybe Eliza a Doolittle?(too young?) No, I think I will turn out to be more like the evil stepmother in Snow White, all bent over and crone-like, basket on my arm, wizened fingers caressing and scratching at shop owners and croaking "Garlands my lovely?"