Chantal Loves Vintage

Snoochy - Czech Glass Beads

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 11 Nov 2013 11:38:00 +0000

Candy Apple BNS Treasury

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 28 Sep 2013 06:49:00 +0000

'Afternoon Tea ~ BNS ~ Round 5 ~ OPEN ~ Candy Apple' by sajolie

$5 min buy in after coupon, before shipping To be in the next round: Buy any item(s) from any shop featured (does not have to be the item featured on the board) Post transaction link, seller, amount of purchase after discount coupon and before ship

Vintage French Tin, Les Bonb... chantallovesvi... $10.5	Lampwork Bead Autumn Tumble ... shineon2 $13	Maple Leaf Necklace with Ham... ArtbyRuthJacks... $29	Recycled Port Bottle into Al... BInteGREATed $29
Mason Jar Wine Glass, Rednec... PiccadillyPast... $18	Pre HOLIDAY SALE and FREE ... SAjolie $18	Hand Dyed Long Silk Scarf of... RosyDaysScarve... $45	Stoneware Spoon Rest, Cerami... JenniferBurkeP... $12
Pink and White Stretch Beade... DeesJewelryDes... $8	Moss filled lamp work neckla... FenandCo $20	Retro Mod Green Bottle Cap O... AlacartCreatio... $8.5	Bath Salts, Pink Himalayan S... TikiBarSoap $12
Mini- book necklace, miniatu... WhimsyJig $18	Coral Rizo and Crystal Brace... timetalentjewe... $30	With Love - Handmade Felt & ... HeartsHandmade $3	Iphone sleeve/ cosy/ cover. ... fourlinesandal... $7.5

Sponsored by send bulk email from excel.

Vintage By The Sea

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 12 Sep 2013 11:01:00 +0000

Iconic hotel set to party as Wayne and Gerardine Hemingway’s Vintage Festival line-up is finalized

The full line-up of activities for Wayne and Gerardine Hemingway’s Vintage by the Sea event has been finalised as Morecambe’s iconic Midland Hotel continues to celebrate its 80^th anniversary in style.

On Saturday, September 14 the award winning Vintage Festival is having a holiday in Morecambe to help the Grade II listed 1930’s art deco masterpiece that is the Midland Hotel herald its landmark year.

For one day only, Vintage by the Sea celebrates the music, fashion, film, art, dance, food and design from those halcyon days when the Midland Hotel opened in 1933, as well as other classic styles from the 20^th Century.

Wayne Hemingway, co-founder of the Vintage Festival and who was born and grew up in Morecambe, said: “The Midland is a very special hotel and it feels right for us to bring a pop-up version of our Vintage Festival experience to help celebrate this iconic building’s landmark year.

“We have assembled a fantastic range of fun and immersive activities and attractions that showcase the very best in music, fashion, food and design from the last 80 years for people to come and enjoy. We are looking forward to a great day out by the seaside and can’t wait to see people coming to join in the vintage fun at The Midland.”

Highlights of the event include an unforgettable and glamorous 1930s-themed ‘Torch Club’ evening in The Midland, which includes a themed five-course meal with dancing and lead instruction to The Palm Court Dance Orchestra.

There will be two sessions of vintage tea dances, which includes afternoon tea with authentic Charleston period music and dance lessons delivered by renowned instructor Anthony Padgett.

The Midland’s Rotunda Bar will become a 50s Rock and Roll venue with guest DJ appearances from Joseph Kondras and Matthew Whitehouse of Morecambe band The Heartbreaks.

“The 50’s and 60’s have had such a profound influence on the clothes we wear, the music we listen to and the music we make,” said Joseph. “To pay homage to it at an event such as this in our hometown will be a real joy.”

The five luxurious booths are bookable for parties of eight to enjoy a menu and cocktails based on a British diner in the 1950s.

Set in the most evocative of venues, The Morecambe Winter Gardens, The Soul Casino recreates the sounds and style of the classic 70s soul club and 80s disco scenes with DJs Colin Curtis, Snowboy and Wayne & Jack Hemingway. The Winter Garden dance floor will reverberate to the sound of deep funk to northern, rare groove to classic soul, disco, authentic R&B mod sounds and early house.

The Vintage Marketplace takes place with The Midland Hotel as a backdrop and gathers the finest purveyors of vintage clothes, accessories, mid-century modern homewares, records, music memorabilia and up-cycled items.

Bringing together couture labels with prêt a porter and street style from the 1920s through to the 1980s, the Vintage Marketplace will tempt bargain hunters with must have items sold for anything between £5 and £500.

Other highlights include:

Best In Show

Style hunters roam the Vintage site to snap the most fashion-savvy festival goers. Watch out for our special ‘fash-mob’ catwalks, where our chosen 'style hunted' gather for a one-off event.

Workshops

Our expert Vintage tutors will help people learn a new skill or revive an old one from sewing vintage style fashion accessories, knitting, up-cycling, quilting, designing and generally getting creative.

Hair and Beauty

Guys and Dolls Hair Boutique host The Vintage Salon providing hair and beauty makeovers which are decade specific, from 1920s to the 1970s. Booking will be taken on the day. Vintage hair ‘Up-Do’s’ will cost £14.00 and a vintage beauty makeover will cost £10.00.

Vintage Serendipity

Classic vehicles, vintage street theatre, classic ice cream vans and vintage street food, evocative and rare film footage, pop up performances are all part of the Vintage Festival experience.

There will be a food market hosted from classic vehicles

Timings: Vintage Marketplace – 11am – 6pm (The Midland) - Free

Vintage Salon – 11am – 6pm (The Midland) – Hair ‘up-dos’ £14, beauty makeovers £10

Vintage Playground – 11am – 6pm (The Midland car park) - Free

Vintage Tea by the Sea – 12.30pm - 2pm and 2.30pm - 4pm (The Midland) - £16.50 – SOLD OUT

Rock n Roll at the Rotunda - 11am to 6pm free

Rock n Roll at the Rotunda – 7pm – Midnight (The Midland) - £35 per person for groups of eight in a booth.

The Torch Club – 7.30pm – Midnight (The Midland) – SOLD OUT

Soul Casino – 9pm – 2am (Winter Gardens) - £12.00

Tickets can be booked for Vintage Tea by the Sea and Rock n Roll at the Rotunda by calling 01524 428370.

Tickets for Soul Casino can be booked by calling 08458 501240 or at http://www.skiddle.com/whats-on/Lancaster/Morecambe-Winter-Gardens/Soul-Casino--Vintage-by-the-Sea/11942432/

For more information on Vintage by the Sea please see http://www.vintagefestival.co.uk/events/vintage-by-the-sea-14th-september-2013

Here is a short video from the event launch http://blog.englishlakes.co.uk/2013/05/09/video-interview-with-wayne-hemingway-at-the-midland/

And here is a short video from a previous Vintage Festival event https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g9KT7Ip8slc&list=UUL1iCBJ2rqZz3Rd9wZKGgEA

For more information about The Midland and to book rooms visit englishlakes.co.uk

Media contacts

Ian Boydon or Karen Gardner on 01524 782086 ian@ospreycommunications.co.uk or karen@ospreycommunications.co.uk

The Midland was commissioned in 1932 by The London, Midland and Scottish Railway Company and architect Oliver Hill was selected to create a building “of international quality in the modern style”.Hill’s holistic approach, where he insisted the hotel’s interior matched the architecture design, set The Midland apart from other hotels of the period. He took complete control of colour schemes, furnishings, decoration and works of art, right down to the detail of the door handles.

English Lakes Hotels Resorts & Venues are a family owned and run group of properties based in the Lake District on the shores of Windermere, as well as The Midland on the north west coast of Lancashire and one hotel close to the city of Lancaster.

New Stock

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 04 Sep 2013 13:14:00 +0000

Now that the school holidays are over I have a little time to breath! I found some wonderful items while I was holidaying in France and they are slowly but surely being put into the shop.

Here are a few of the quirky items I found.

Keep checking the shop as they will all appear.

As you can see I went a little bit deer crazy...and this is just a little selection of them!

And kitsch crazy

All of the above are already in the shop, just click on the pictures to take you through to the listings.

The pictures below are all waiting to go in.

It was so much fun finding all these goodies.

Hello Bygones

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 23 Aug 2013 14:12:00 +0000

Hello Bygones will once again be gracing Yeovil with it's vintage presence. If you have never been to one then you should pop on down as it is a fantastic day out for all the family. It's on 31st August 2013 10am to 5pm. There's lots to do, vintage shopping, vintage dancing, food and music, hair and make up, a fashion show, kids gaming!

Check out their website here

“Hello,Bygones!” brings together stallholders, performers, artists and musicians to celebrate local and independent businesses. We welcome anyone of any age, as there’s something for the whole family to enjoy!

The next event will be host to a huge variety of stallholders including vintage, retro and arts & crafts. Live Rock 'n' Roll, Punk, Swing, Jazz & Blues bands will be playing and DJs spinning records all day long!

For the ladies we have a pop-up salon and retro nail bar, creating beautiful vintage inspired make-over's and then the chance to go through the dressing up box, don your glad rags and take part in a gorgeous retro style photo shoot. For the gents we have a retro gaming station taking you back to the 1980’s, you’ll be able to take a nostalgic trip back to your youth with old games and computer classics such as duck hunt, Mario, sonic and old apple macs and PC’s. And for the little one’s we have bouncy castles, arts and crafts and face painting. Other attractions that can be found on the day are: a pop-up tattoo parlor, dance demo’s, burlesque workshops and lots more to keep you amused all day long.

Bars, food and a BBQ will also be available all day.

Live By The Lake - Singin' in The Rain Giveaway

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 07 Aug 2013 12:46:00 +0000

So, have you guys heard about Live By The Lake?

I have an extra special giveaway for all you UK residents!!

I have 2 tickets for the outdoor screening of Singin' in The Rain. This is extra special as The Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra will be performing a live score whilst the original dialogue is played on screen.

To enter simply leave a comment stating your favourite musical. (This is only open to UK residents who can attend the performance on the 30th August 2013) The winner will be picked on the 24th August. Go tell all your friends to enter!!

To see what else is happening over the weekend read the press release below. It promises to be such a fantastic weekend!

LIVE BY THE LAKE, the hotly anticipated series of outdoor summer concerts at Kenwood House, marks the welcome return of the English Heritage concert season. Produced by the young dynamic agency, Rouge Events, Live By The Lake’s outstanding lineup of world class music is scheduled over six days – August 23^rd-25^th and August 30^th-September 1^st; each show promises to attract up to 10,000 music and film lovers to enjoy the music and share a picnic with friends and family in more than 100 acres of Kenwood House’s beautifully landscaped gardens.

Boasting the perfect mix of pop, rock, soul, classical, musical theatre and film, LIVE BY THE LAKE promises something special for every music lover in the land. Tickets are now on sale at www.kenwood.seetickets.com and there are a limited number of discounts for residents in many of London’s northwest postal districts.

Ticket holders will be able to choose a variety of reasonably priced tickets for each concert and to decide whether or not to bring their own picnic and all-weather paraphernalia! For those who want to rock up unhampered, the best of Carluccio’s Italian picnics can be ordered in advance and picked up on the day of each orchestral concert. (NB: Suede and Keane concerts will be standing room only, so picnics and chairs should be left at home and a range of drinks and delicious food will be available from the on-site concession stands.

PROGRAMME at a glance:

August 23^rd: SUEDE and special guests BRITISH SEA POWER

August 24^th: ROYAL CHORAL SOCIETY and the ROYAL PHILHARMONIC CONCERT ORCHESTRA

August 25^th: KEANE and special guest LAURA MVULA

August 30th: ‘SINGIN’ IN THE RAIN’ – film screening, score performed by the ROYAL PHILHARMONIC CONCERT ORCHESTRA

August 31^st: ANA MARIA MARTINEZ and the ENGLISH NATIONAL OPERA ORCHESTRA

September 1^st: MICHAEL BALL and friends sing GERSHWIN

Nathan Homan of Rouge Events says: “We are absolutely delighted to be producing the first LIVE BY THE LAKE at Kenwood House in association with English Heritage. We’ve got a wonderful lineup of world class performers and I think Kenwood’s beautiful grounds are the perfect setting for what promises to be a seriously great series of summer concerts. Even in this digital age, the appetite for live performance is greater than ever – the calibre of artists who are appearing at Live By The Lake is a testament to their own enjoyment of playing outdoor concerts and I think audiences across the six nights will love every minute of it.”

Publicity: judy.lipsey@premiercomms.com and david.littlewood@premiercomms.com

020 7292 8330 www.livebythelake.co.uk

Social Channels:

Facebook: facebook.com/LiveByTheLake

Twitter: @LiveByTheLake

THE PROGRAMME in detail:

Kicking off proceedings on Friday August 23^rd are the multi-platinum selling, mighty SUEDE (left), Britpop progenitors, one of the world’s most exciting rock bands and whose sixth studio album ‘Bloodsports’ was released in March, after a ten year gap, to much critical acclaim. Suede’s special guests are the splendid Brighton-based indie rockers BRITISH SEA POWER, the title of whose current album, ‘Machineries of Joy’, was inspired by a collection of short stories by the great sci-fi author, Ray Bradbury. The band recently performed their soundtrack for the documentary film ‘From the Land to the Sea’, directed by Penny Woolcock, at the Sundance London Film and Music Festival at the 02 and at the Sheffield Documentary Festival.

On Saturday August 24^th it’s a feast for classical music lovers with the Royal Choral Society and the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra conducted by Roderick Dunk, performing a wonderful selection of arias from, among others, Carmina Burana, Madame Butterfly, Verdi’s Requiem and many more. The night will end with a spectacular firework display. Roderick Dunk will be well known to BBC Radio 2 listeners as the BBC Concert Orchestra’s regular guest conductor for the long running Friday Night is Music Night.

To complete the perfect first weekend on August 25^th the Brit Award winning, Grammy nominated, 10 million selling KEANE will take to the stage; fronted by the charismatic Tom Chaplin, the band’s fourth studio album, Strangeland, was released in May 2012 and immediately topped the UK charts. KEANE are delighted to have as their special guest the uniquely gifted soul singer/songwriter LAURA MVULA, whose debut album, ‘Sing To The Moon’, was released this year and instantly catapulted her into the musical stratosphere and a headlining slot at this year’s Isle of Wight Festival.

Friday August 30^th offers a truly rare opportunity to film fans: the screening of the 1952 musical romantic comedy ‘Singin’ In The Rain’ to a LIVE score performed by the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra. Starring the legendary Gene Kelly, Donald O’Connor, and Debbie Reynolds, and choreographed and directed by Gene Kelly, the film offers an entertaining depiction of a 1927 Hollywood caught up in the transition from silent films to talkies. The RPO, conducted by Neil Thomson, will bring the film’s iconic soundtrack to life while the re-mastered film is shown on the big screen.

Saturday August 31^st is Opera Alfresco night with the English National Opera Orchestra and a special appearance by the incomparable Grammy Award winning American soprano, Ana Maria Martinez whose lyrical, elegant style has seen her grace all the grand opera houses around the world. The ENO together with principal soloists Wynne Evans, Fiona Murphy, Kai Ruutel and David Webster will perform some of the world’s greatest and most popular arias from the works of Bizet, Mozart, Puccini, Verdi and more.

On Sunday September 1^st MICHAEL BALL, double Olivier Award winner (‘Hairspray’, ‘Sweeney Todd’), multi-platinum recording artist, and radio and TV presenter will close Live By The Lake’s programme of events with a special evening of music by George and Ira Gershwin. Britain’s top musical theatre star will be inviting friends from the West End stage such as Kerry Ellis, Gina Beck, and David Shannon to join him in performing some of the Gershwin’s best loved songs including Summertime, I Got Rhythm, S’Wonderful, Shall We Dance, and many more.

Meet Vintage Think

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 28 Jul 2013 09:04:00 +0000

Tell us a bit about you and your shop

We are a young couple – Kristaps is 25 years old and Elina is 24. We both still work our full time day jobs but we always knew that this is not the way it should be - to go to work and spend so much time of your life with what you do just to make other people rich.We opened our shop ''Vintage Think'' about two months ago because we wanted to start something on our own and there wasn`t two thoughts about what it should be because we both appreciate heritage of past a lot and we also think that it`s a very obvious way to recycle – it is very important to us.

How did you choose your shop name?

Initially 'Vintage Think' was meant to be 'Think Vintage'. After I drew the banner for our shop it turned out that the name 'Think Vintage' was already taken (although I checked before and there wasn't a shop with that name at the time). We decided to just change the sequence of words and keep our existing banner because we love it a lot. But why 'Think Vintage'? We think that it is a very concise name for a shop and that it describes lifestyle that includes love of old things with their own story and history very well. Its also like manifest to think more about our past.

Where else can we find you?

Because we are fairly new at the moment we are only on Etsy.

Where did you get your love of vintage from?

The love of vintage goes hand in hand with our love to recycling and green lifestyle. People talk a lot about receycling and sorting/reducing waste – so why should we let things that could still be used go to waste? We mostly sell things from the soviet era - here in Latvia people don`t appreciate them so we save these things from being thrown away and give them another chance.

But love of vintage – I don't exactly know why. We live in a small period house and almost all of our furniture is vintage, restored by us. We also have vintage kitchenware,decor and clothes – vintage things just give more meaning and joy to us.

Do you have a vintage obsession, for instance, I am totally addicted to vintage glasses, I have way too many?

It definitely has to be furniture. We find old and shabby vintage furniture and give them new life with fresh paint and textiles. We can't imagine our life in a new apartment filled with modern furniture.

What’s the strangest item you have ever found?

I don`t have anything specific to tell you about but flea markets are just filled with strange things.

What is your favourite item in your shop?

We have this old mechanical clock JANTAR in light blue. It's placed in our living room until somebody buys it and it fits in there so well. It also makes a very restful tic-tac sound.

Tell us what you love about your favourite era?

Our favourite era is 70s and 80s from Soviet time. Every single design, print and detail was very well-considered. There wasn't any any flashiness at all – everything was simple and tasteful.

What advice would you give to people just starting out?

The only thing you should do is not to be afraid to start. And after you start everything goes it`s own way

Is there anything you wished you had done differently?

No – we are happy with the way things are now.

If you could learn something new what would it be and why?

We really want to learn to dance 60s dance moves – twist, swing, boog-a-loo, jerk and such from this decade. It would be so much fun.

Where is your most favourite place on Earth?

Our small house where we live. The building is very old and it has such a perfect aura. We have lived in a lot of places but none of them can be compared with this house. We can really call this place home and see ourselves in the same place in future.

I’m a big foodie fan, what is your dream meal?

It would be something fresh and organic. A lot of local latvian vegetables and fruit.

Once upon a time……

Once upon a time everyone was more ceative. Because none of the technology that does the thinking for you was invented. So people had to figure things out using their own mind, imagination and creativity.

What question do wish I had asked and what would you answer be?

Can't think of any. We are quite happy with yours! Thank You!

It's Time For Tea

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 03 Jul 2013 14:19:00 +0000

MirTime

Tea is my favourite drink of the day.

Of all time!

I'm a builders tea kind of girl, in a mug grrrrrr!

But when I drink more refined teas I need a more classy kind of cup.

This vintage cup, so proper and elegant, it should be used to drink English breakfast tea.

This is the Princess Margaret Commemorative Tea Cup and Saucer by Paragon.

from

Backstash & Bygones

Now for a more healthy tea I would use these beautiful mid century cups.

Or cugs, maybe mups? A cross between a cup and a mug but perfect for the healthy tea of your choice.

These pretty ones are from

ThriftCore

Do you have a perfect recipe for how to make tea?
Perhaps you have a tea box filled with lots of different flavours.

These fantastic teapots are from

5LittleCups

And of course you should never have tea without cake!!

Cake Stand

Brownies

Fancy a cuppa anyone?

Vintage Summer

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 25 Jun 2013 09:25:00 +0000

Oh, summer has clothed the earth, In a clock from the loom of the sun! And a mantle, too, of the skies' soft blue, And a belt where the rivers run.

~Paul Laurence Dunbar

Vintage Dresses - Whiskers Vintage

Blue Czech Glass Beads - Snoochy

Orange and Yellow Czech Glass Beads - Snoochy

Pink Czech Glass Beads - Snoochy

Yellow Czech Glass Beads - Snoochy

Meet Stevie Sputnik

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 10:51:00 +0000

Tell us a bit about you and your shop?

I've been collecting vintage figurines, vases and furniture for over thirty years. Over the years, I've found so many wonderful things that I had to get rid of some of my treasures in order to have room (and money) for more. I am totally incapable of passing up a good deal or an extreme rarity (a major personality flaw if you ask my wife, Rhonda).

How did you choose your shop name?

I've always been fascinated by the space race. While I don't have a lot of space-themed products for sale, I'm constantly looking for Jetsons style.

Where else can we find you?

I sell on eBay under GetCoolStuff. One of these days, I'll get it changed to Stevie Sputnik!

Where did you get your love of vintage from?

My parents had a real love of mid-century modern decor. Many of the pieces I collect came from their home including a wonderful Frederic Weinberg wall sculpture, Howard Pierce horse, and some great furniture pieces.

Do you have a vintage obsession, for instance, I am totally addicted to vintage glasses, I have way too many?

Over the past few years, I've become obsessed with mid-century modern dinnerware. I've always collected teapots and "things that pour". Now I collect a much broader range of dinnerware. We use Franciscan Del Mar as our everyday dinnerware. I have a lot of Grant Crest Tempo which is similar to the highly collected Franciscan Starburst pattern. I'm hoping to eventually have a set of Eva Zeisel's awesome Hallcraft Century White. Red Wing Spruce is another collecting obsession. Be sure to check out MODish.net if you love mid-century dinnerware. It's a great forum for all things mid-century modern as well.

What’s the strangest item you have ever found?

A Salem Free Form teapot and snack set that has the most awful brown dead fruit decal design (official name is "Sepia Fruit"). Salem Free Form is my favorite dinnerware shape designed by Viktor Schreckengost. How this design was ever produced is beyond me!

What is your favourite item in your shop?

The Rosenthal Swimmer nude figurine is spectacular.

Tell us what you love about your favourite era?

Mid-century modern is #1, but Ettore Sottsass' Memphis movement is a close second.

What advice would you give to people just starting out?

Learn as much as you can about what you want to collect before you buy. Be selective...buy one really nice piece rather than lots of lesser pieces. Always try to upgrade your collection as your knowledge and tastes evolve.

Is there anything you wished you had done differently?

Paid a lot more attention to mid-century modern dinnerware when I started collecting decades ago.

If you could learn something new what would it be and why?

I'd like to know a lot more about some of my favorite designers like Richard Saar and Clyde Burt, but there just isn't a lot of information out there.

Where is your most favourite place on Earth?

New York City. I lived there for ten years and miss it every day.

I’m a big foodie fan, what is your dream meal?

My mother's Prime Rib, baked potato and Brussels sprouts.

Once upon a time…I owned a punk rock bar.

What question do wish I had asked and what would you answer be?

How have my collections changed over the years? I started collecting Art Deco in the late 70s. That's when I started collecting porcelain Will-George flamingos which started my love of stylized porcelain figurines. When my wife and I moved to New York in the 1980s we sold most of our Deco collection and started collecting Memphis pieces. After moving back to the Midwest in the 1990s we bought a 1957 California modern ranch and became fully immersed in collecting mid-century modern collectibles and furniture. We still have a lot of our Memphis pieces which mix well with the 1950s and 1960s furniture and collections. Last year, our house was one of five homes on the Indiana Landmarks "Back to the Future" home tour. Our home will be featured in the fall issue of Atomic Ranch magazine.

I Believe In Pink

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 14 Jun 2013 13:39:00 +0000

Pink

I believe in pink. I believe that laughing is the best calorie burner. I believe in kissing, kissing a lot. I believe in being strong when everything seems to be going wrong. I believe that happy girls are the prettiest girls. I believe that tomorrow is another day and I believe in miracles.
~ Audrey Hepburn

Vintage Dress from Found It Great

Czech Glass Disc Coin Beads, Graduating Pink from Snoochy

Czech Glass Gemstone Donut Beads, Light Pink from Snoochy

Czech Glass 8mm Pink Swirl Beads from Snoochy

Czech Glass Pearlescent Leaf Beads from Snoochy

I'm Back!!

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 10 Jun 2013 11:08:00 +0000

So, you may or may not have noticed that I have been a wee bit absent of late. It's not that I've been being particularly lazy or anything...promise!....instead I have been setting up a bead shop on Etsy. As you can see on the right hand side
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------->
I now have 3 shops.....crazy eh? I will have to try and curb my loves from now on or else I will end up with a million shops! Anyway, I thought I would show you a few of the things that I have stocked in the new shop. Also, if you have a moment, it would be awesome if you could stop by and add me, especially if you love making jewellery with beautiful beads.

At the moment I am stocking Genuine Czech Glass Beads. I love glass beads, they have a weightiness to them that just feels good and they really catch the light and sparkle. My absolute favourites are the gemstone donuts, it it such a gorgeous shape.

These are just the teeniest selection from Snoochy so if you are a little magpie like me, pop over and see what other beautiful beads I have.

Vintage Spoons

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 15 May 2013 12:34:00 +0000

1 Chantal Loves Vintage

2 Run The Mill Designs

3 Vintage on The Ridge

4 TriBecas Vintage

5 Vintage Finds Up North

6 Little Retronome

7 Astrid's Past Times

8 Lost Treasures 2 U

9 Pattie's Porcelain Etc

10 Taste Vintage

11 Alamesa

Meet Swirling Orange

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 13 May 2013 19:22:00 +0000

Tell us a bit about you and your shop

Ugh, how can one describe or talk about themselves inside a little box? Suffice it to say, I am way outside the box, lol. My shop, initially, I joined Etsy as a jewelry designer. I had 5 designs that I wanted cast in silver in a variety of metals and articles. I did have one cast, a small Ganesha Pendant which sold out, but then silver, even cast silver got so expensive I could not get the rest of my designs cast. Fast forward 6 months, I was waitressing at the time and was tired, it is hard work, and went on a rummaging trip with a friend. By the end of the day I did not want to see an old thing ever again. I ended up talking to the shop owner and we became friends over the next few months. She was in a dilemma and needed someone to work the shop with her and I wanted out of waitressing, this was the start of my obsession of old stuff, vintage, retro, eclectic etc. So here I am.

How did you choose your shop name?

My shop name goes back to my initial jewelry design on Etsy. I love yoga and practice almost daily and there is a study of energy centers that are not tangible but easily accessible. The second chakra, is orange, and after practice one day, the name popped in. The second Orange Chakra, is the seat of creativity, it so fit what I was doing at the time that it just stuck!

Where else can we find you?

I do have my own website, http://swirlingorange.com but it is sort of a test site at the moment. You can reach me there and I do offer discounts if items are bought through my website as the fees are non existent except for paypal which allows me to pass that discount on to my customers. I am researching ecommerce solutions right now, so the site will go under some changes over the next few months, though I will always be reachable there.

Where did you get your love of vintage from?

Ah, my love of vintage originated with my Grandma, I loved her jewelry and still have her pearls that are way over 100 years old as they were given to her by my great grandmother on her wedding day. I did not have much of an appreciation for everything vintage until I was older and really began to see the quality difference between what is made now and what was made in the US before the 1970s.

Do you have a vintage obsession, for instance, I am totally addicted to vintage glasses, I have way too many?

Absolutely YES I am obsessed with anything fortune telling. I have been a practicing psychic astrologer for all of my adult life, yeah, over 30 years, YIKES, but never knew there were fortune tea reading cups and games and the like. I was always into tarot cards, but honestly I love anything old with destiny, fortune telling or astrology connected to it.

What’s the strangest item you have ever found?

Hmmm, the strangest item I have found or sold? LOL, I have found some really weird stuff, mostly taxidermy which I think is really gross. I found some old scrimshaw (whale tooth etching) that I thought was absolutely fantastic but sold it before it made it to Etsy. I have not come across anything much like that in some time.

What is your favourite item in your shop?

This is seriously difficult to nail down. The reason being, is I buy for resale only things I can stand looking at, as I not everything sells right away, so I figure, I best like what I am selling in case it hangs around a while, so to be honest, I don't have a favorite, I love it all :D

Tell us what you love about your favourite era?
My favorite Era is a cross between Art Deco and the 1960s. I love Art Deco because it was such a drastic change from Victorian and primitive. It was like space age for the time. The 60s, is the same thing, it was all Hippy and so flower power so different and varied from any era before it. It seems to me that most of the other eras now are a variation of something before it. These two eras seem to stand alone which I love. I also love the contrast between the two as the Deco era is sharp linear lines where the Hippy Dippy 60s is all round and fluid, think lava lamps etc.

What advice would you give to people just starting out?

Starting out on Etsy? Persistence. You need to know that you may not be found immediately, but this is a good thing in reality. I was lucky my shop did not explode the first few months I was online as it is a learning period of how to ship, how to pack, how to market, how to take pictures etc. But if you don't let that get you down, there is room for everyone. Also, I think buying the things you love helps too, as I mentioned above, if you are "stuck" with something, it is a much easier pill to swallow if you can use it or like looking at it while you wait to be discovered. Patience is the biggest piece of advice. We all want to quit our day jobs, but truth be told, it takes years to build a business whether on line or in real time, I still consider myself a novice and am always open to learning. This is why I love what I do, it is a constant learning process so you can't get bored.

Is there anything you wished you had done differently?

Yes, I wish I had taken the time to understand how to market and that I had established a facebook page much earlier than I have done. I dislike fb but feel compelled to have a presence as a business. I think had I established this way way back, I would have more of a presence there now. But, truth is I try not to look back and don't really think I could have done anything different than I did. I am one of those people who learn fast and furious from Mistakes, LOL.

If you could learn something new what would it be and why?

OMG SEO for sure, Graphic Design on a basic level, the inner workings of the web, SEO is only a portion of it but understanding and learning the languages ie. php, c++, etc. I would love to learn how all of this is intricately entwined.

Where is your most favourite place on Earth?

My Yoga Mat!

I’m a big foodie fan, what is your dream meal?

I love love love Salads, but I hate hate hate cutting all those veggies, my favorite meal is chopped salad with all fresh garden grown veggies and real sour cream ranch dressing YUMMY! Okay, I love love love Nachos with tons of cheese and jalapenos too, but I thought the salad would be a better thing to put first :D

Once upon a time……

Once upon a time, there was a girl who grew up on the beach building sand castles. While building one day, she found a shell, a very special shell. When she ran to the ocean to wash it off, it sparkled brightly and as she was coming back to her castle, a big cloud of smoke started to emerge from the shell ... in that cloud was a genie ... and well you know what the genie offers ... 3 wishes. My wishes if they were able to be granted would be Peace for all beings, no poverty or hunger, and a place where creativity is appreciated whether it be through art, food, writing or any other avenue, just that it was appreciated more than it is today.

What question do wish I had asked and what would you answer be?

What really makes you tick outside of Etsy/your shop? Oy, not enough room to answer it, but in a nut shell, I wish I could share my passion for yoga, vintage, and life more widely without judgement. Hope this make sense!

Sunday Crushing - The Everything Issue

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 12 May 2013 11:11:00 +0000

The Everything Issue

This week I haven't been crushing on one thing in particular, I have been crushing on everything!

Here are my favs.

Oh yeah and Happy Mother's Day to all those celebrating today (Ours has been and gone in the UK)

1 Rusty Rabbit

Autena

The Curious Case Shop

White Cottage Supplies

Enjoy the rest of your weekend

Best Of British Vintage

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 10 May 2013 14:51:00 +0000

A little bit of Britain

1 Fin Fin

2 TL Soe

3 Retro & Co

4 Chixycoco

5 Lizzy Loves Vintage

6 Brocante Art

7 Wanstead Homewares

8 20th century Stuff

9 Chixycoco

10 After Glow Retro

11 Retro Womble

12 Oh My Kitsch

Star of The Day

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 10 May 2013 08:44:00 +0000

SCANDIANDERSEN

Pretty pretty pretty.

New In This Week

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 09 May 2013 09:59:00 +0000

I have had a little listing spurt this week. Here are my new items for sale in my Etsy shop right now. If you would like to see more info about each item click the photo to go to the listing.

Star of The Day

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 09 May 2013 06:13:00 +0000

LuLu Vintage Finds

This is the cat that got the cream! This has got to be one of the best decanters I have ever found.

Vintage Salt & Pepper Pots

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 08 May 2013 15:08:00 +0000

1 Then Meets Now

2 Ivory Bird

3 Wool Trousers

4 Cashew Pickle

5 The Orange Collective

6 Under The Sycamores

7 Peachy Chic Boutique

8 Luxina

9 Mod Lounge Vintage

10 Mon Desir Vintage

11 Friends of Ed

12 The Urban Barn

Star of The Day

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 08 May 2013 09:29:00 +0000

Swirling Orange

It's a dish!! How awesome is this vintage pressed glass bowl? What would yo u put in yours?

Colour Me Happy - Pink Glitter

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 07 May 2013 20:29:00 +0000

1 Tinsel And Trinkets

2 Cindered Sister

3 Whims And Fancy

4 Lady v33

5 Twin Hearts Vintage

6 Pretty Little Purses

7 Now and Then Shop

8 Vintage Bead Cache

9 Vintage Adorables

Star of The Day

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 07 May 2013 05:20:00 +0000

Chaps And Rascal

Here's another item that reminds me of visiting my family in Switzerland. Every lunchtime we lay these on the table and put the hot pots on them. One of my favourites is fish fingers, risotto and carrot salad. Sounds bizarre but I love it.

Meet Apartment 528

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 06 May 2013 12:36:00 +0000

Tell us a bit about you and your shop
I'm a color-loving gal who lives in a color-filled apartment with my gorgeous husband. We're obsessed with bowling even though we suck at it and we eat like 5-year-olds in a candy shop! We have no kids but for some reason we watch the Disney channel and Nickelodeon all the time. Apartment 528 started in 2009 as a way to peddle fun, quirky, colorful housewares that fit in to today's homes. Our goal is to offer products that can actually be used in your house to cook, clean, entertain, play, work, and live.

What is the story behind your shop name?
Apartment 528 is named after my mom. Her birthday is 5/28. She's an amazingly gifted woman/mother/designer/everything who always encourages us to try new things. I hope to be her when I grow up!

Where else can we find you?
We try to be everywhere. We have our own website (www.apt528.com) where we sell vintage as well as handcrafted housewares from talented designers. In a few weeks, we'll start market season and travel around the midwest and maybe even make a stop in Boston doing vintage markets. We're also working on opening a brick and mortar shop here in Chicago this year.

Where did you get your love of vintage from?
I honestly don't know! The first vintage item I ever bought was a 70's alarm clock at a thrift store back in high school. It was just so neat looking to me. Then I got addicted to old tshirts and even started collecting colorful men's ties. Once I was on my own, I bought vintage furniture off craigslist simply because it was all I could afford. After awhile I noticed that I kept buying things that were the same mid-century/retro style and I knew I was on to something.

Do you have a vintage obsession?
Absolutely! Once I see that pop of color or something teak, I have to have it. Our house has been handmade-and-vintage-only (except for our gadgets of course!) for 5 years now and I love it!

What’s the strangest item you have ever found?
Hmmm...I stumbled upon a gynecological exam table and some old medical machines once at an estate sale. That was weird. And kind of scary. Why would you need that in your garage? It was like the set of a twisted scary movie!

What is your favourite item in your shop?
I LOVE the George Briard acrylic tumblers. Each cup has a coaster that doubles as a lid. So neat. I was going to keep them until I realized I'm not cool enough to own them. They need to go to someone who has a big family or who likes to entertain so that they'll be put to use.

Tell us what you love about your favourite era?
I am ADDICTED to color and I love clean lines so I think that's what draws me to the 50's-70's. Back then, everything from your countertops to your furniture to your carpet, was colorful. Nowadays, countertops are neutral, furniture is neutral, and carpets are beige. I don't know how we made it to this point but I want to go back to the days of avocado-colored fridges!

What advice would you give to people just starting out?
If you're collecting vintage for fun, be practical, otherwise you'll end up on an episode of "Hoarders." It's easy to go overboard so make sure you actually need something or you really like it and have a plan to switch stuff out. If you're doing it as a business, edit yourself so your shop's not a hodge-podge. When you're first starting, you tend to buy stuff just because it's vintage. After awhile, you figure out your style and your shop's aesthetic and it becomes easier to pass up things that don't fit. And whether you're doing it for business or pleasure, you have to be creative about repurposing things and suggest to your customers ways they can do so. I use fondue pots to hold things from plants to silverware to napkins. I turned a non-working 70's Crockpot into a planter. We took 2 wood record cabinets and made them into a window bench to hold electronics and DVD's in the living room. You can use platters and serving bowls in your entryway to hold mail and keys. It's all in how you look at things.

Is there anything you wished you had done differently?
I wish I had better impulse control sometimes. I love to build things so I'll often buy something broken or that needs a little TLC thinking that I'll fix it later. Then years go by and I still haven't fixed it. Such a waste of time, space, and money! Every few months, I end up giving things away or donating them back to the thrift store because I just don't have the time for anymore projects. I have to learn to be more realistic about things! Pricing is the other thing I wish I'd figured out earlier. Some of my early customers got AWESOME deals! I'm still learning pricing but I'm getting better.

If you could learn something new what would it be and why?
I'd learn to sew so I can stop using fabric tape and finally do something with my stash of vintage fabric! My mom's a designer and sews everything by hand and it's better quality than stuff made with a sewing machine. She's been trying to teach me to sew since I was a kid so that I could do my own basic repairs but it seriously takes me over an hour to make a 16" hem on a pillow. Whenever I go home I bring something with me for her to fix! I think I may break down and buy a sewing machine and take a class this year.

Where is your most favourite place on Earth?
I guess it would be a tie between my apartment because it's so colorful, my mom or grandpa's houses since both of them are amazing cooks, and Home Depot because I'm constantly building something.

I’m a big foodie fan, what is your dream meal?
A bowl of my grandpa's seafood gumbo, a few slices of my mom's homemade pizza, a big pile of shrimp fried rice, a pork burrito from Chipotle, a side of cheddar bay biscuits from Red Lobster (they're amazing!), a jar of Claussen pickles (they're my favorite food) and for dessert, a cookie dough blizzard from Dairy Queen. If all of those things were in one meal I think my head would explode!

Once upon a time……
...there was a girl named India who lived and breathed rainbows.

What question do wish I had asked and what would your answer be?
What's my TV design inspiration? A mix of the house from "The Brady Bunch" the furniture and style from "Bewitched," and the warm homey feeling of "That Girl." One day...

Star of The Day

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 06 May 2013 07:08:00 +0000

Mascara Jones

Twit twoooooooo. Fun and serious all at the same time. Absolutely lovely.