A Vintage Christmas

Well today I put on my cosy knitted hat and ventured out in to the cold to do a spot of window shopping, but who was I kidding, of course I ended up handing over some pennies for shiny pretty things!

This year I am hoping to pick up some vintage decorations to pair up with the bits I want to make, but I couldn't resist these adorable teeny tiny fairy bells on a beaded string today. I bought them along with some very pretty silver and white washi tape from one of my favourite crafty places, The Makery Emporium, where I very rarely leave empty handed!

   

I'm hoping to find my vintage bits and pieces at the markets I have a stalls at over the next couple of weeks. If you can, please come along to some wonderful festive events starting this Saturday. Firstly, Bristol's Waterfront Square is going all 1930s glamour with a vintage and artisan fair including its very own Spiegletent, pop up vintage hair salon, cabaret and plenty of stalls to tempt you. Then on Sunday we will be taking over Frome with a vintage flea and Christmas market. Finally, on the 9th December we have the next instalment of Baths artisan market at Green Park Station. Come and enjoy some mulled cider and eats and treats by local suppliers... yum!

One Stop Dec Shop!

Feeling totally festive today so I have put together a selection of decorations that you may want to go out and grab. There is something you'll want I'm sure from this collection of vintage kitsch, homespun and Nordic style ornaments.

1. quotesandnotes on Etsy
2. mellybee on folksy
3. inkmeup on folksy
4. tentvintage on Etsy
5. luncheonettevintage on Etsy
6. Bread and Jam on folksy
7. Anthropologie
8&9. Paperchase

Go forth and decorate people, and let me know your favourite xx

Markets & Merriment

I love my city on a cool crisp day, wrapped up all warm and snug in woollies galore. The light shines so prettily on the Bath stone, then add to that the famous German style market that fills the streets around the Abbey at Christmas time and you got yourself a great day. Think mulled wine, butternut squash stew in a box, handmade stocking fillers (& stockings for that matter) and hot chocolate... yummy holiday heaven.

Prep for the Christmas market in Bristol next Saturday has also been top of the list this week, with Mumford & Sons keeping me company in the studio I have been working on lots of silver quote rings for my stall on the 1st December.   

Remember there is 10% off in my Etsy store for the Black Friday/Cyber Monday weekend xx

Christmas Shopping Promotion

So today I have been giving my Etsy shop a Christmas makeover. With a little help from the brilliant themes, overlays and labels on Picmonkey I have decked out my jewellery for the holidays.
And for all you lovelies out there in cyberland I am giving you a 10% discount voucher to use for your Christmas Shopping. Pick up one of my artisan silver quote rings, the ones shown here say "& your bird can sing" and "curiouser & curiouser", perfect for the loved one in your life who likes pretty things.

To get your on line discount click on the Etsy button in my sidebar, shop away and use the discount coupon code SILVERSHED1 at the checkout. The offer ends at midnight GMT December 1st 2012. 

Happy shopping xx

Little Photo Shoot In Memory Lane

Most of you will be aware of the blog A Beautiful Mess and I'm sure like me you are often inspired to make and do by their wonderful posts and tutorials. Recently there was a beautiful post showing how to use old family photographs to decorate the back of a bookshelf. This got me looking out some of my family portraits, particularly the ones of my grandparents. I forgot how beautiful they are and when I saw them in front of me I decided on an impromptu little photo shoot.

By the way the fabric below is from Millie Moon in Frome and The Makery Emporium in Bath, not sure what it's going to be yet but I'm totally smitten with it!

I think I would like to put some of these old photographs in to a printed book, I did this with some of my uncle last year for my dad's Christmas present. Sadly my uncle Rich (one of my dad's 4 older brothers) passed away in 2011. Richard had been sent to the Malaysia conflict during his national service in the 1950's and had sent over 100 letters home, so along with some wonderful photographs he had taken over there I scanned and collated them in to a memory book for my dad. 

Here are a few of the photo's...

 

Hope you liked my trip down memory lane xx

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Jingle Bells . Jangle Bangles

So it seems the festive season is rapidly approaching and my beautiful city became all a glow this evening with silver lights. The streets were certainly full for the great switch on as it was being broadcast live on the BBCs One Show and after a shaky start the elegant chandeliers came flickering to life! 

Christmas was the main topic of conversation on Sunday as well with the pre-Christmas shopping market at Green Park. It was a beautiful day with lots of folk enjoying mulled cider and hot chestnuts whilst picking up early presents for their loved ones. If you can come to the next one on the 9th of December you really must, it is a great day and I will have lots of lovely sparkly goodies for sale!

Some of those items are these bangles I have been working on, I have taken the quote bangle I make and given it the look of three stacking singlets sitting together on the wrist. The one shown here is from one of my favourite stories, Peter Pan... 'Second to the right and straight on til morning', that, Peter had told Wendy was the way to the Neverland.

xx

Fireworks, Flea Markets & Fabric Labels

Over the last week I have been a little miserable as a vicious cold took hold, but we can't let these things stop us can we! I didn't manage to get to the big bonfire party in Bath, but there was plenty to see from the garden and I lit a sparkler or two to feel a part of it. I do love fireworks, it's the wrapping up all cosy and warm and being with lots of others all enjoying the same experience.

I have also managed to do some flea market shopping of late, picking up some brilliant finds to decorate a few spaces and to use as props for my Silver Shed booth (remember to come along to The Bath Artisan Market this Sunday at Green Park Station 9.30-4pm). I am particularly in love with the 1930's German sleigh I found in pretty Malmesbury. The enamel bowls are perfect for holding my jewellery goods, there is a song sheet which will be framed and a mini milking stool and shoe last for... um, well... well for no reason, but why not hey!

Lastly I need to share with you my new love... printing on fabric at home. Looking for some way to label my silver quote rings I started thinking about printable fabric sheets, these little gems enable you to design and print your own fabric with an ink jet printer. Perfect for text too, but just remember to mirror image!

It is quite pricey but looking on line I came across many people raving about freezer paper and how it allows you to make your own sheets by ironing it to the fabric and giving it enough structure for the printer. Sadly I soon realised this is an American product and tricky to find in the UK, but look on line and in quilting shops (it's popular for applique work) and you will eventually find it, and plenty of tutorials (here is one on the Instuctables website). Have some fun with it!

xx

Pumpkins and Packaging

So Hallow e'en has passed by without much fuss and bother, although I had the obligatory carved pumpkin and soup (most simple recipe ever!), one or two little witches and I finally managed to use the fake leaves I procured whilst doing a window display as a VM last year.

If you want to make the simple soup here's the recipe...

approx 1kg pumpkin, roughly chopped (mine was just the scooped out middle of this bad boy)
2 medium onions, roughly chopped
1l stock (chicken or veg are best)
any seasoning or spice to your taste (I used salt, black pepper and a little ground cinnamon)
oil

Pop the onions in a large pan with a light coating of oil and sweat them down for 5 mins.
Add the pumpkin and cover with a lid, cook on a medium heat for approx. 40 mins, stirring occasionally to prevent any catching on the bottom of the pan.
Once the pumpkin is cooked add the stock and bring to the boil. Let the mixture cool then blend in batches.
Soup can be reheated when ready to eat. See simple!

I have just had a final bowl of soup for lunch and am now putting together some jewellery for the market on November 11th. I received some greetings cards I designed to go with my Forest Folk pendants this week, and I am so thrilled with them. Along with the cards I ordered from Moo.com (check them out, they are fab) I also ordered some new packaging, and I have to say everything is shaping up to look pretty cool for the holiday season.