Jugs, glorious jugs!

Hi there everyone or just one! I'm definitely back home now for a few months. Scotland was wonderful and I did actually manage eventually to find a fair few great items. I always seem attracted to jugs of all shapes, sizes, colours and materials. Here are a few of my finds. One is made by Swinnerton's - a very simple, plain creamy colour, the gravy jug is a lovely shade of green and the rose one is lustreware, with a faint sheen to the glaze. The first place you'll see these finds will be at the North London Vintage Market on Saturday 1st September starting at 10 o'clock. It is in St Mary's Hall, Cranleigh Gardens London N10. It is a lovely market with lots of unique stalls including vintage clothing, lighting, furniture, homeware, textiles and of course kitchenalia! Do come along if you can. There will be refreshments too.
I've also found some of my favourite type of kitchenalia - Enamel! I've got a lovley pale blue colander and a white jug just right for a bunch of garden flowers. I've got some more great pie dishes in various colours and a couple of colourful coffee pots. I'm always on the look out for utensils, especially the lovely painted handle variety. They're getting so hard to find in good condition but I've managed to find some lovely ones. Some are very unusual and keep customers guessing for hours about what they could possibly be used for!

These fruit sets are in perfect condition and have six small bowls and a large bowl. There are two sets. One is by Meakin and the other by James Kent.

The other bits of china I've brought back with me are blue and white, similar to T G Green. There are four cups and saucers witht the milk and sugar bowl, cereal dishes and side plates allin tip top condition.  There is a fab jug in dark and light blue. I can't list all of the items but these are a few tasters. I'll try to list some more with some photos when I've finally unpacked them all. I'm frantically trying to get ready for the market tomorrow and change over some of my existing stock to the new stuff. It's always good to unveil the new bits for existing customers who come regularly to the market. I've got so much to write about from my visit up North. I went to a great event last weekend which happens every year in Argyll. It's called Artmap and it involves local artists who open up their homes and studios to the public to look at their work and chat about it. It is always so interesting to meet  people in their own environment and find out what inspires them. We met some very interesting friendly people. More of that to come. I must go and rise to the challenge of getting my stalling head back on, which involves looking in boxes and deciding what must stay and what must be replaced for tomorrow. When stock is replaced I then have the unenviable task of trying to find somewhere to store it all until it goes back to market again some time in the future. It's a constant juggling act and I dread doing it but here goes................................

Back from the wilds of Kintyre for a bit!

Hi there! I'm back in London for a couple of weeks for my son's wedding and we're very excited about it all! I didn't manage to post a blog while away as computer access is difficult while we're there. Nothing very much to write about except that I've managed to buy a few purchases for the stall for when I get back to Spitalfields in early September. A couple of very pretty vases, one with roses, a fab enamel jug in white with blue trim and a wonderful green coloured gravy jug. I've also found some new utensils including a lovely old wirework slotted spoon. A lovely old pale blue colander is among my finds too.They're currently in my shed in Scotland until I get back up there to hopefully add more to my treasure trove. There have been some lean pickings recently but I'll still have a few weeks up there to find more. However for inspiration I went to see a really excellent vintage fair in Scotland called West Coast Living. If you're in the area of Ardfern near Oban, I highly recommend a visit. It's on until 5th August in conjuction with the Craignish Arts Festival. Katie and Sarah do a great job of sourcing beautiful items for the home including wonderful large vintage cupboards, hand built garden benches and seats using original cast iron ends; troughs, watering cans, mirrors, china and linen. For this event it is set in the rural setting of Barbreck Farm in a few light airy marquees. I'm kicking myself for not having my camera with me so that I could share it all with you. Well as they say in Scotland ta ta the noo! Actually I never hear anyone saying this! See you in September back at Spitalfields and also on September 22nd 11am - 5pm at Central Library, Fieldway Crescent, Holloway Rd, North London a new venture called 'Before 1980' Put it in your diary and I'll give more info nearer the time. It should be great and full of delicious retro items of furniture, homeware, lighting etc etc....I leave you with an image of a beautiful sunset over Kintyre on the west coast of Scotland. I really do have to drag myself away from it. In between Scotland, finding treasures, getting organised for the wedding, we're off to the Olympics tomorrow!!!

North London Vintage Market - this weekend!

It doesn't matter if it rains this Saturday 7th July, come and join me, among others at the North London Vintage Market at St Mary's Hall, Crouch End. There are always lots of interesting stalls selling vintage items including furniture, clothing and of course Kitchenalia!

I managed to survive being outside at Spitalfields last Thursday and the threat of a thunderstorm passed us by, thank goodness. Saturday at Spitalfields was reasonably busy and we were back inside.I always find it fascinating how many people come to my stall, look at a  red coffee pot for example and then ask me if I've got it in blue. I always want to say 'hold on and I'll go check out the stock cupboard!' The whole idea of these items being one offs, seems to pass them by. Part of the joy of having a stall is being able to observe human behaviour and it's just as interesting as selling!
Now for new items. This is one of the few bread bins that I have at the moment. It's a great blue and white enamel with the original label still attached at the front which is amazing as it was probably bought in the 1940/50s!!!
I've also managed to buy some great T.G. Green items, the blue and white striped variety known as Cornishware. I've got a lovely pestle and mortar, two jugs, a biscuit container as well as a tea, coffee and sugar set. I had a big matching bread bin but that sold today. I've also got some fab old wide necked milk bottles which are great to use as vases. Some great new tins also. I'll have all these things with me on Saturday. After that I'm off to Scotland for a break and hopefully to find some more interesting things for the stall. I'll try to write some blogs though don't have much access to the computer while I'm up there. If you're interested in any of my items please leave a comment and I'll get back to you. If you're free perhaps I'll see you at Crouch End on Saturday. 

Roses and other things grow on you!

Icing sets and other useful gadgets! Buy me but leave me for a little while!

Hi there. Not sure if anyone has read this blog yet but here goes anyway. I'm beginning to get the hang of this blogging. I've fiddled about and changed colours, backgrounds etc. and am enjoying learning more about it all.
I've managed to buy new stock despite the difficulty getting to car boots etc due to the weather. I've bought some lovely enamel coffee pots but sold one already. It's a funny thing when I get new stock. There's something in the air around a new item which seems to say 'buy me' and they fly off the table, (metaphorically speaking of course!). While the object of this funny old game of stalling is to sell things, it's always nice to hang onto new items just for a teeny bit to let regulars see so they don't just think, 'same old...' It makes me want to shout after them as they stroll off, 'I did have some new things but.........' Equally when I sell something which I'm just beginning to get tired of and thinking that's destined for the car boot box, it's really hard to hide one's delight that someone is finally buying it! I don't quite know why some things shift really quickly and other things hang around. These items I try to move around, leave them at home for a little rest, bring them back for another little visit to their friends, re group them with something else etc. This often works and if not they eventually go in the reject box. It's a big pink box  at home waiting for me to take it all to a car boot sale one of these days. The pink box has grown to three boxes of various colours which I fall over every time I load or unload for the market.
This Thursday Spitalfields Market will be outside, ousted from our usual indoor spot by some other event - not sure what but I won't be advertising it here 'cos I want you to come and see us. We will mostly be in Lamb Street as well as partly under cover inside the new market just for one week. Let's just hope the weather is kind to us and our stock doesn't get blown halfway down the street towards the big Red Rover bus near Carluccio's! That happened once when we were outside a couple of years ago but that's another story...... As I said I have lots of lovely new things including coffee pots, icing sets, fab new tins, a whole set of eight great orange handled utensils - very seventies retro. I've got lots of lovely pale blue things at the moment, a bread bin, storage tins, a roasting tin as well as cute pie dishes. We are also at Spitalfields this Saturday 30th June back in our usual spot under cover so come and visit us and say hi. Photos to follow.

Do you need a butter curler to make your day?

Hi there, if you've decided to read this blog. I have been thinking of doing this for ages but have never got round to it as I'm not very clever with this new way of communicating. However, spurred on by my friend's blog, tootasinfoot.blogspot.com I think it's a very interesting way to share what I do with all you boggers/readers. I will not be able to match the toot blog for it's wonderful way with words but I'll give it a try. I sell at Spitalfields Market alongside Jo and other interesting stallholders. I also sell at the North London Vintage Market. It's a great way of justifying wonderful buying sprees without the guilt or wondering where the heck you're going to put things when you've bought them. At first, I thought I might not be able to part with all the lubbly jubbly items I found but with my business hat on, I find it quite easy. Sometimes I keep things for a little while and then it's easier to let them move on to someone else in a while. I'll try to put photos of what I'm selling on this blog and then if you're interested, you can pop down to Spitalfields and see me or email me if you're interested in anything and you can't get to London.