Showing posts with label Utility China. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Utility China. Show all posts

Thursday, 17 April 2014

MK March photo's...

Ooops!

Life in the Real World has been hectic...days and weeks passing by in the blink of an eye.

But finally I have a couple of photo's to share from the BIG MK Vintage and Handmade Fair last month.


I sold the suitcase of wonders, which was my 'thing', something that people recognised us by and attracted them to the stall.

This time I needed something new and carrying on from the case it had to be something from stock or home that I had 'done up'




The standard lamp stand is painted to go in my girls room and the shade had been stripped last year and had sat waiting for inspiration to strike!

Add a few JUMBO POM POMS, a trim of pom poms along with a dash of handmade tissue flowers {oh and a couple more pom poms!}

...and...

voila

One totally BONKERS display item!


If I could have had a £1 for every time someone told me how much they loved it or charged for its photo to be taken I could have retired merrily.

It did the trick!

We used the March show a chance to clear the stock that we had taken to more than one show, giving us a chance to start afresh with lots of lovely pieces this year.

That said we also took along a few new pieces, I never have been able to walk past something pretty and vintage 
{despite telling myself that I wasn't buying for this show!}

As always I had a selection of Utility China with me, the work horse of any kitchen and the pastel colours are all over the magazines... still standing the test of time



I've a real soft spot for a Vintage Tin...they make for pretty and original craft storage
{my crochet hooks are stashed in some very cute tins}


Then we had the Vintage Kilner Jars that I've stashed in the loft for far too long!  
Originally bought for my preserving, I've kept most but still had a lot that year after year I just haven't used so moved them on to stock.


Although I'm not using them I still find it hard to let go of some bits of stock...Linens fall into that group!

I sold 2 of my largest ones 
*gulp*
deep breath
still excuse for me to re-stock!


A red suitcase that was a lucky find, it was 1971 and lined with a luxury satin lining
B-E-A-U-T-I-F-U-L

^can you see it peeking out the front there^

^crafty bits^

All in all we had an amazing weekend, lovely neighbours and super customers!

If you still haven't visited it I can't say it loud enough but you really should try to get there.  
The prices are competitive, the assortment from tins to larger pieces of furniture and a selection of handmade goodness from cakes, pickles, jewellery and sewing from pillows to clothing!

It is inside the huge Milton Keynes shopping centre, dry whatever the weather, entry is totally free and there are hundreds of 'high street' shops to browse if you fancy as well as a selection of food stops from Jamie Olivers' to Burger King!




Wednesday, 10 October 2012

Like a swan...

Outside the shed I'm gliding along {well perhaps not gliding but...} but once inside the shed, 
behind closed doors 
there is a lot going on.

The count down to the next fair begins...

Not 1, 
not even 2 
BUT 3 DAYS of fabulous Vintage Goodies!!




Monday, 25 June 2012

Utility China, again!...

I sold a fair few pieces at the last Vintage Market and bought the rest home yesterday for a wash and count up...I really do LOVE to 'play' with it all so any excuse will do!


Almost all of it fits in the little Vintage corner unit I picked up last week and have almost finished painting etc





No room for the few blue bits left though or the large number of Hedgerow bits I've managed to part with



A few bits of Jasmine are listed on Etsy (which will be open again quite soon) but if there's anything you're interested in do let me know & I'll get a shipping quote 
{it is quite heavy to post though which is why I don't list lots of it on Etsy}

This lovely stuff generates interest all over the place....including Australia!!

xxx

Tuesday, 22 May 2012

A Basket of Beryl...


This lovely little wicker basket, full of 42 pieces of Beryl Ware will be coming along with us to


A one off special 
the price is just
£50

Saving over £30 to buy it all individually and it's all ready to go in a super little wicker basket!

***


Monday, 21 May 2012

Lunch at Grans...

I have a long standing love for utility china...we call it old stuff around here.
Utility sounds a bit ugly and it's certainly not fine bone china...which is pretty but damages too easy for a busy family.

My love of the old stuff started when I was given a small 'chef ware' blue/white stripe jug that used to belong to my grandad on my dads side.


Roll on a few more years and my darling Gran was showing signs of age and moved into a smaller home...no longer needing what was left of her 'utility china'.  
In fairness we didn't keep much of Grans china as it was too chipped {her old fingers & hands struggled to grip things in her later years}...
but it bought back memories of lots of lovely homely dinners and puddings she'd serve us on our trips for lunch.


Lunch at Grans always was a treat...it usually meant a very grown up bus ride, my mum would put me on the bus at one end telling the driver where I was going and my gran would meet me at the end stop {with a pie for the driver as a thank you for keeping an eye on me!!}

Gran was an amazing cook...a really good old fashioned traditional English fare kind of cook!

On our lunch dates we would have, home cooked ham, new potatoes, fresh veg from either her garden or a neighbours allotment {pies were exchanged for veg}, home made parsley sauce and of course home made apple pie with either custard or cream and lashings of extra sugar {never served out the sugar pot but always in a sugar shaker!}.  
All washed down with a glass of ever so sweet fizzy Ribena!!  
B-E-A-U-tifull



Gran used 'Woods Ware Beryl' for her everyday ware, the stuff we usually had our cup of tea from, on our lunch dates though she would use the 'Hedgerow' 
 Not surprisingly I find myself drawn to these.  
In truth I prefer Woods Ware Iris to Beryl or Jasmine...it fits in better with the blue in my kitchen and our dining room.  
{Which is why I rarely have Iris in stock as she's normally sat at home with us!}


I have in our loft a HUGE box of Beryl Ware for my eldest daughter, a couple of bits were Grans but mostly it's what I've thrifted.

Hoping to pass the love for the old stuff down another generation!

xxx

Monday, 26 September 2011

Utility China...>>>

>>>
Keep an eye out to the side in the pages as I'm creating a page devoted to the lovely & ever practical Utility China...
The bread & butter of vintage china...there wont be an awful lot of Woods Iris as she's my girl but lots of everything else











oooh they make me smile just looking at them!