Clover Cottage

Do you love fabric ?!!!!

2012-01-13T09:17:00.002Z

There seems to be an ongoing obsession in Clover Cottage. I wonder if you can guess what that is?

Baskets of it, drawerfuls of fat quarters....

Pretty boxes full of it..... (a great way of using old shoe boxes, and leftovers, or samples of wallpaper!)

Cotton & other threads to stitch it with!!

Gorgeous spools of Vintage thread, and wool for darning!

I love the artwork on this card of thread : )

Bought these two on my last trip to Bicester Village.

How I wish I could buy this by the metre!! I'm certainly not cutting it up though!

Here are three quilts I 'made earlier'! The first one is made from a combination of two Vintage Laura Ashley cottons called 'Campion'.
(This was originally a pair of curtains found at a car boot sale!!)

This one is made of a selection of some of my favourite scraps in pink & blue & bordered in a cute Ikea Rosali fabric. I was lucky enough to find the Rosali as a damaged single quilt cover on Ebay, at a very good price!

This is one of my first attempts at handquilting, a small wallhanging made with calico, and a few toning blue prints.

You can use it for applique .....

You can embroider it !

Make your home more comfy with it!!!

As you may have guessed, I love fabric, and admit to being a fully fledged fabricaholic!! I love working with it, it makes me happy, I have met so many lovely people who love it too. It even found me a new job, as I started working at a lovely gift & craft shop & boutique that I sell my crafts to, when I lost my last job in October!!
Be inspired & get your needle & thread out, you don't know where it will lead to!!!

Goodbye 2011, Hello 2012 !!!!

2012-01-01T00:21:00.001Z

Well I certainly can remember this day 16 years ago. It was the birth of my 9lb 2oz bundle of joy son!!

Now just about 6 foot tall, eats me out of house & home, mad on music, and busy studying for his GCSE's. Where did that 16 years go to?

Anyway 2011, was a pretty good year, even things weren't too good with my daytime job with cuts & an automated system being bought in I continued to have fun collecting Vintage in my spare time, and attending local fairs. It really is a lovely, friendly community, and I have made so many new friends. It certainly gave me a positive outlook & something to enjoy, amidst the pressures and uncertainty, as to whether I would have a job or not!

Together with the Vintage, I still enjoyed selling my crafted creations too, and also started selling some in a local gift/craft shop - Wollaston Garden & Home. The owner there loves to sell local crafters & artists work, so this was ideal for me!

.... and a few pics inside this lovely shop!

I also attended the Warkton Village Craft Market this year, again making lots of new talented crafty pals.

I had always intended to make myself a crafty banner for my stall, and here is the result.

A crafty friend I had made here was Evajeanie, she is a local crafter , who makes the most lovely range of free motion machine embroidered goodies. here's her stall -

See that gorgeous teacosy on top of the crates, with the house on, well

that is standing in my kitchen now!

Lots of new notebooks made by myself.

A few stitched & appliqued pictures were made.

.... and a few pretty cushions too!

Also enjoyed doing some furniture makeovers, 2 chairs for the kitchen.

..... a pretty barleytwist side table.

Also this lovely barleytwist Vintage tea trolley I found.

(I think my 3 year old granddaughter enjoyed modelling here!)

I did actually lose my job in October, but was very lucky to be offered

a job by my friend at Wollaston Garden & Home, and also one at a friend's boutique. The one at the boutique was temporary, so I am not there now,

but I now do 5 days a week at Wollaston. It has worked out really well, and I am a lot happier than I have been for a few years. I sell my crafts, and also Vintage goodies, so if there is anything you like, and want to order you can see more on my Facebook page SHABBY-POLKA-DOTS, and you are always welcome to e-mail me on shabbypolkadots@hotmail.co.uk .

A Happy New Year to you all, and I wish you all you wish for yourselves!!! xxx

All change - but for the better!!!!

2011-11-26T23:00:00.001Z

Hi everyone, I haven't posted for quite a while, but things have been changing in my life which I will tell you about.
I have been working for a company for nearly seven years, and as we know, everywhere is having to cut costs. To do this, the company introduced an automated system to deal with a lot of our calls, so we didn't need as many staff.
After about a year of great pressure, and worry, in October I lost my job. A very worrying situation, when it's only yourself to pay the bills. I had applied to agencies, but to be honest they haven't been much help. Things didn't look too good : ( . It is really awful being in limbo, and not knowing where your path will lead.
However two things happened which I didn't envisage, and these were a perfect solution to my problems.

In the lovely nearby market town of Olney, in Buckinghamshire, a friend of mine was opening a Boutique of new, and pre loved designer & high street clothes, also Vintage items too.

This is the gorgeous little shop, she opened - Chic Boutique !!!!

Lots of beautiful clothes & accessories, for ladies, men & children! All of the shop reflects her love for Vintage, with a lovely old till, rustic fruit crates, & old pine furniture!

Also this wonderful old dresser to display accessories & her Vintage china, eiderdowns, and other pretties. A real Aladdin's cave, you never know what treasures you will find there!!
Running the shop 6 days a week, is pretty demanding when you have a family too, so help was needed a few days a week. So, I was offered a part time job here for 2 days a week, and other days as required!! How great was that ??!!!

As you know I make a lot of handmade goodies, and sell at a few shops, and also Craft & Handmade & Vintage fairs. One of the shops I sell at is the one below -

It's called Wollaston Garden & Home, and is situated in the village, next to mine. It is in a courtyard of lovely old farm buildings, and there's a gorgeous tea room, beauticians, a great photography studio, & an Interior design shop. It's a great little shop, & sells flowers, pots, and lots of garden related loveliness!

The potter actually makes all these pots next door!

This is the scrummy tea room next door, that also sells local bread, fruit & vegetables. The cakes are gorgeous, and you can have loads of lovely home cooked meals here, cooked breakfast, afternoon teas, and there have been cupcake decorating classes here too : )

Go inside, and you will see beautiful flowers, and gift ideas.

Shelves full of beautiful things for the home.

Cushions, hearts, pictures....

Loads and loads of present ideas & Christmas decorations and goodies!

Retail therapy for stitchers & crafters too. I adore that gorgeous old Singer sewing machine : )

The shop also sells handmade items from local crafters too, which is great, as you can find unique one off items, and combining that with coffee & cake next door can't be bad !

The owner here is a lovely lady, and is opening ( with her business partner), a Boutique of new & Vintage clothing , shoes, and accessories in the courtyard. She needs someone to work there, and asked me if I would be interested?? The shop will open all being well next Saturday. ( Well, you can guess what the answer was to her question!!!)

All in all, within the space of 3 weeks, I had found two jobs!! I may be earning a bit less, but I am so much happier, and in much nicer, less pressured environments, with like minded friendly people!! Also I will still be doing my Vintage & Craft fairs too, what more could I want??!!!

There is a Christmas event in the Village next Saturday, and the shop will open that day. I already had a Vintage Fair booked for that day -

So I will keep you posted. It's all exciting!!!! : )

Makeovers & Pretties for the Kitchen

2011-09-28T21:17:00.002+01:00

I have been a bit of a bad blogger, and haven't posted for almost 8 weeks!! What with being very busy, and having a bout of shingles, I have been feeling a bit under the weather. Still, I will remedy that right now.
On my last post, I had started a few makeovers, the first was a lovely old Vintage tea trolley with barleytwist legs . One of my friends had one of these at a Vintage fair for display, so when I saw this one, I was very tempted!!

This was the before picture, which I couldn't resist dressing up with some of my vintage china & pretty tableware.I wanted to paint it, and had a look on the web for ideas. In the end I settled on a cream colour.......

..... that's much better! I went to Bath for a few days, and visited the Cath Kidston shop there. Of course, I just had to buy some pretty oilcloth to decorate the shelves with!!

Tadaaah!!! This resulted in the above pretty little lady!! I was really pleased with my project, and had caught the painting bug!!

Do you remember the little dull barleytwist table, well this is the result after a bit of tlc from myself!! A lovely dainty little table, that could be used for 'tea for two', or would be quite at home looking lovely in a bathroom.

It's so rewarding in many ways to make over old, unloved furniture. The furniture is sturdier & of better quality than new furniture. It costs a lot less, and you can choose the colour that you want, also gives you a great sense of achievement!! Why not have a go? : )

******************

I love pretty tea towels, and think they are so versatile. Obviously they are used for the usual reason. I have read about a few bloggers who have used them to make cafe curtains for their kitchens, also I do love to display a pretty one.as a piece of artwork in my kitchen.

They certainly add a splash of colour in a country style kitchen.
I received an e-mail from Al of All Tea Towels , who was very kind, and asked if I would like to choose & review 2 tea towels of my choice from his website
www.all-tea-towels.co.uk. I eagerly had a look, and found it very difficult to choose, as there are hundreds on there, and they are just gorgeous!! In the end, I chose these two -

First of all, this beautiful Birdsong one by Madeleine Floyd. I love the beautiful china she designs, and her artwork in general, so I had to have this one!! Looks lovely by my kitchen window!!
The second one, was this pretty floral, rosy tea towel -

Certainly brightens up my boring old cooker!!!! The website is definitely worth a visit, there are loads to choose from, flowers, birds, dogs, cats, great retro & Vintage images & advertisements, humourous ones, tea towels for anniversaries, even for the car lover in your life, to name but a few! They do same day delivery, and can send world wide, what a great idea for a friend , or relative in this country, or abroad!!
They are in cotton, or linen, and the quality is great. Why not have a look : )

Anyway, glad to be blogging again, and you enjoy this lovely sunny weather we are enjoying at the moment. Hope it lasts for a while yet!!! : )
( Good painting weather if you find any lovely furniture items for makeovers!!!)

Something I have been meaning to do for ages!!!

2011-08-01T19:34:00.000+01:00

I have always wanted to do some furniture makeovers, but never seem to get round to it. Over the last couple of weeks I have found two lovely pieces that need a little TLC from me, and they didn't cost a fortune!!
The first is the little oak Barley twist tea trolley above. A little scratched & past it's best, but a great piece to makeover. Can't wait to see it holding pretty vintage china, tea & cakes!!!

Here is the next stage, in my garage with a coat of primer. I want to paint it a cream colour & distress it a bit. Looking forward to finding some lovely oilcloth to cover the shelves with : )

The next find was this cute little table. ( I seem to be having a run of Barley twist at the moment!! Haven't decided on how to decorate this yet, but will show you when it's finished! Any ideas, anyone?

This lovely old cupboard was found at a vintage fair I did. This is not a makeover. Lots of people asked about it, but this is definitely a 'keeper' - I love it!!! It even came with the little pine shelves on the table too : ) I hope to move next year, so want to put it up in my new home : )

For the present , it has accompanied me to the Warkton Village Craft Market , and I will use it to display at vintage fairs too!! It's certainly earning it's keep!!

I love furniture, and especially when it's vintage, a good price, and ripe for a makeover.
Watch this space!!!!!

A Lovely new Vintage Fair !!!

2011-07-03T22:44:00.000+01:00

Just wanted to share my visit to a lovely new Vintage Fair today!! It was at Hatton Park Village Hall, Hatton Park, in Warwickshire, and all organised by one of my blogging friends, Amy, of blightyboutique.blogspot.com/
It was her first fair, and we were all looking forward to it immensely, we were not disappointed!!!

It was a lovely, light, bright hall, and on entering, it was full of the buzz of preparations for the fair.
It was like going to meet family, a lovely friendly atmosphere, as I knew a lot of the stall holders there
from the Northampton Vintage Fair.
Here is what we saw : )

This is Jo's beautiful stall of hestanesta.blogspot.com/ I adore those eiderdowns, and love the way they
are displayed on the vintage stepladder! Also, she has some adorable vintage textiles.

Lots of beautiful handmade cushions, doorstops, and pictures on this stall. So bright and colourful, and love
the fabrics chosen. I can definitely see some of my favourite Cath Kidston designs here!! I'm afraid I didn't get
the names of everyone, but will update you as I can.

Lovely clothing, jewellery, and china on here, to name but a few goodies!! Also, is that a 'Spirograph' I can see in
that basket? I used to love 'Spirograph' !!

All of the items on this stall are renovated items of furniture, or made with

reclaimed wood. Gorgeous rustic Vintage crates, cupboards, and signs, all ready to go to their new homes!! ( Will have to visit here again when I move next year!!!)

This is Linda's stall (of Tabbyroo blog) . I love her cushions decorated with Vintage images. Also what a good idea, the crocheted doyley bunting.

Scrummy homemade cakes to tempt you!! These were sold to help the local

NMC appeal.It all looked fantastic, with waitresses in matching 40's style tea dresses, with white lace trimmed aprons, and tables covered in Pink polkadot tablecloths with vintage china - It looked beautiful!

Sorry about this pic, but you get the idea!!! : )

There was a talented artist at the fair. The picture on the bottom left is of David Tennant of Doctor Who fame. Wish I'd not got a reflection on it : (

I would love one of those tea trollies!!

This lady made some pretty Vintage styled jewellery.

I will definitely be seeing this stall next week! It belongs to Ann of

Vintage at the Corner House. Ann & Trevor organise the Northampton

Vintage Fair, and next week the fair will be going to Olney, Buckinghamshire.

It's a really pretty poster that they have designed for this, and we are all looking forward to meeting again. Hope to see you there, a great Vintage fair, a lovely market town with lots to see, and do, a great selection of eateries too - why not treat yourself?!!

All in all I really enjoyed today, a great location, great fair, and it was obvious

that Amy, and her family, and friends, have put a lot of time, and effort into today's fair!! It was really busy, and a great success!! I can see it happening again soon, it certainly won't be the last, I don't think!!

WELL DONE AMY !!!!! : D

Handmade & Vintage loveliness at Winslow !

2011-05-08T20:32:00.000+01:00

We have had some lovely weather recently, and this week had been forecast as being showery, with possible thunderstorms. This was the case on Saturday, when it was dry when we arrived at a car boot sale, and within about 10 minutes, the heavens opened!! No great finds this day!!
Arriving home, and reading a local newsletter for the Buckingham area, I saw a Summer Fayre advertised with a Vintage & Handmade market!! This was in a nearby lovely little old market town of Winslow. Of course this was somewhere I really wanted to visit, and crossed my fingers that the weather would be ok : ) As you can see from the pic above, it turned out a lovely, sunny day! A bit blustery, but no raindrops!!

Winslow is a really pretty little country town. It has a main street, with a market square, and lots of beautiful buildings in the little side streets. It certainly is a great place to take your camera! Love this little cottage !

Lots of lovely little individual shops, and tea rooms too.

The Handmade & Vintage stalls were in the market square, it all looked so pretty with plenty of colourful bunting, and gorgeous goodies. I arrived early so i had a chance to get some pics before the crowds arrived! This lovely stall belonged to a fellow blogger, who I know pretty well, Annie, of Vintage at the Corner House. It was great to see her, and lovely to catch up. It will be the Northampton Vintage Fair on Saturday 21st May, so we will certainly both be busy then!

A lovely selection of vintage china, and glassware on this stall!

Another stall full of loveliness! Don't you just love that pretty rosy table cover too?

There were also lovely things to eat too. As you probably noticed there was a Vintage ice cream van in the first pic, selling scrummy flavours of ice cream, such as Strawberrries & Cornish clotted cream, Belgian Chocolate Truffle, ans Sticky Toffee fudge!! Certainly makes a change fron the usual vanilla, chocolate & strawberry. Also there was this lady who makes the most gorgeous cupcakes! So beautifully decorated, it seemed a shame to have to eat them!!

Lovely live vintage music serenaded us! It set a lovely atmosphere for the day : ) Sunshine, music, scrummy food & vintage - sounds good to me !

One thing I think I often look for is ideas for display. Love the duck egg blue painted ladder!

More lovely china, and the lovely old Singer sewing machine in the backgrouns is still in working order!

That is one thing I think we love about vintage, you never know what you will see, you can find something out of the ordinary, that is not mass produced, and it is lovely to visit a pretty little town like this , and get away from shopping centres and supermarkets. You can speak to the stall holders, and it's a lot friendler atmosphere. Winslow has a monthly Farmers Market too held the first Sunday of the month, so I can see I will be paying a visit there too! It is also a great idea for the shopkeepers in the town too, as many shops, and tea rooms open specially on these Sundays, so it's a win -win situation for everyone!

More pretty cottages in the town. Hope you've enjoyed the visit : ) x

A sunny day for the Vintage Victoria Fair

2011-04-20T21:24:00.000+01:00

A chance was available to stand at a new vintage & handmade fair that was located at a village only a few miles from where I live. There had never been a vintage fair in the village before, and a lady who lives there decided it was a good idea to organise one there.
This was an excellent idea, and I would like to share a few pics of the day with you .......

This was the lovely stall of the organiser " Vintage Victoria" ! No, that's not really her name, but look at all that vintage loveliness! Love those tablecloths & glassware.

These three girls had a great selection of vintage clothing, pottery, and vintage handbags. Wish I'd had enough time to try some of those outfits on!

Lots of beautiful jewellery to tempt you too from Bling Bling Kerching.

The furniture on this stall was fab! It's all renovated, painted, and upholstered by the stallholder herself. She also had a beautiful vintage dressing table, and that was at the entrance of the hall, as she hadn't enough room in the hall.

" Hearts & Kisses" is the name of this crafter's stall. She makes really pretty personalised hearts for all sorts of occasions - births, birthdays, weddings, and anniversaries. Also pretty bags, cute tooth fairy cushions, and pictures.
Her web link is http://www.heartsnkisses.co.uk/. Have a look, they really are lovely!

Well, I must say that these vintage stall holders are getting younger - lol !!!

Two very helpful young assistants : )

This is Molly crafts. She makes the most beautifully fragranced candles, soaps, bath bombs, and even wax dipped teddy bears, that are decorative, and smell divine! All of the toiletries are hand made, and natural oils are used. The soy wax candles are environmentally friendly, and completely natural.

Another really pretty vintage stall. I adore that bunting : )

More great vintage clothing. I really love the white & tan vintage dress the stallholder is wearing : )

It was a great fair, and very busy. A great success, I'm sure it won't be the last! Thanks, and well done to Julia, the organiser, and her family for their hard work. Look forward to the next!!

The First Car Boot Sale of the year!!!

2011-03-28T23:35:00.000+01:00

Just wanted to post a few pics of my finds at my first car boot sale of 2011. I found some lovely items to take to my next Vintage Fair!

From 1952, came a lovely threesome of Vintage Royal connection magazines. This first one is a Princess Elizabeth special, before her coronation.

The second was a copy of Hultons National Weekly from the same time. Both of them filled with lovely old pics of the Queen, and Prince Philip, right from childhood.

The third was a more sad, and sombre occasion, a special memorial issue on the death of the Queen's father, King George VI. I was really pleased to find these magazines, and all are in really good condition for their age.
Also, on the same stall, I found this book -

A beautiful gold covered edition of the above King's coronation in 1937. There are lots of beautiful old sepia photos, of the King, and the Queen (Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon before marriage), from childhood, showing their engagement, marriage, pictures of their two daughters, Queen Elizabeth, and the late Princess Margaret. Right up to his brother's abdication, and the subsequent Coronation shortly afterwards. A great book, and fantastic record of the time.
Carrying on in the Royal theme, look at some of the Vintage pottery I found that day......

A Coronation mug for the King & Queen too!! What a coincidence!! I also couldn't resist the pretty little Cartltonware basket : )

Hiding behind some paper in a cardboard box, I saw this cute, colourful Grindleyware plate. I just love those hand painted hollyhocks, so cottagey!
Lurking behind it, were more..... !!!!

6 large tea plates, 3 sizes of oval plates, and two matching serving dishes!! HOW LUCKY WAS THIS!!!??!!! It is so lovely, I am very tempted to keep it myself : ) Also in the background is an elegant 1920's - 30's glass jug.

Also fell in love with this pretty cottage garden Crown Staffordshire teaplate & saucer. How I would love a tea set in this design!

Well, you could say I had a pretty good day! Next are a couple of Vintage advertisements from the magazines above, hope you like them!!

This must have been the early 50's version of Persil, or Daz.

... and here's another product that is still with us today!!! Of course the ad at the top of this post you might recognise too!!
As you may have noticed, I tried to post this last night, but dear Mr Blogger didn't add any pics to the post!!! Never mind, here they are now, better late, than never!! : )

A great car boot sale with lovely Vintage finds!!

2011-03-27T21:37:00.001+01:00

I just love this sunny, spring weather we are having at the moment, and think it's very well deserved. Of course with the better weather, is the return of the car boot sale. I was planning to go to one yesterday morning, and hoped that there would be some good finds for me. As it turned out, there were, hope you like them : )

As we all know, it's not long until the Royal Wedding of Prince William & Kate Middleton, and the bunting and street parties are being arranged as we speak.Well today I found a book from 1937,and some lovely vintage magazines from 1952 with right royal connections , why not have a look -

What a find!!! a copy of the Coronation Souvenir book 1937, for King George VI, our Queen's father. The book starts,

'This book tells by word and picture the story of two Royal brothers; of one whose brief reign ended so unfortunately last year; and of the other who has now been crowned as King in his place.' Of course the rest is history.

It covers the story of Edward VIII, up to his abdication, and the coronation of his younger brother, the Duke of York, to become King George VI. It is a wonderful book, bound in a gold cover, with pages of sepia pictures of the King, and Queen Elizabeth (Queen Mother), as they grew up, their engagement, and wedding, also beautiful photos of their two daughters, Princess Elizabeth, and Margaret .

The first of the magazines, is one, from January 1952, with a lovely article and pictures of our young Princess Elizabeth.

The next one is an edition of Hultons National Weekly from February 1952, with a special pull out entitled 'Road to the Throne'. It has lots of lovely pictures of the Princess growing up, her engagement, and marriage to the Duke of Edinburgh, also the christenings of Prince Charles & Princess Anne.

Sadly though, there are also pictures of her dear Father, King George VI's funeral. This must have been a really heartbreaking time for her, and her family.

The next magazine is a special memorial issue for the King.

To carry on this Royal connection, I found a Coronation Mug from 1937 too. What a coincidence! Also on the same stall was lovely little Carltonware basket

The next find, was a boxful of gorgeous Grindley ware, and a 1930's glass jug!

A pretty summery design of blue and yellow hollyhocks! It's so lovely. I would love to keep it myself!!

A closer look at the lovely handpainted floral design.

Also a really colourful & cheerful tea plate & saucer in Crown Staffordshire. reminds me of a cottage garden!

As you can see, I had a great day, and was very lucky! There will certainly be some gorgeous vintage additions to my stall for my next fair in a few weeks time !

I will leave you with a few images from the magazines!! I love Vintage advertisements : )

A lovely spring day at the Northampton Vintage Fair !!

2011-03-19T22:31:00.000Z

Isn't it great when the sun shines? Even more so when it's the weekend ! Well today it was lovely, sunny, and was the day of the Northampton Vintage Fair!!

As I hadn't a stall there today, I was looking forward to meeting lots of friends, a bit of Vintage retail therapy, and coffee & cake in the tea room.

Come and have a look round with me before the crowds arrive.....

First of all is the lovely stall belonging to 'Vicki Loves Vintage'. A varied selection of her pretty vintage makes including cushions & lampshades, also plenty of gorgeous china!

No prizes for guessing who this belongs to!! Yes, Karen was there too with her beautiful crocheted, and handmade lovelies!!! I adore this cute banner she has made!!

I really love this little tray of cute crocheted cosies!! That little vase is so sweet, and love the rosy tea & egg cosies! Karen, you are so talented!!

Now to Amy's stall from Blighty Boutique. Some lovely glass & utility ware, and isn't that little blue cash till cute?! (Like the rosali too, Amy!)

Here's a scrummy corner of Hesta Nesta's stall. That gorgeous pink boa looks really 1920's & decadent!! Love it : )

Some pretty china, and linens from Ticklepenny Vintage. Love the set of rosy tins, also spent ages with my friend searching through her great selection of buttons!!

I adore these Lloyd loom shelves, also the contents too. This was part of Ann's stall from Vintage at the Corner House. Her stall is also the first one shown on this post.

This lovely old bike helps display some of the pretty handmade goodies of Lindsey from Elsie Sparrow. She attends the Northampton Bicycle Bazaar regularly, and what a lovely idea for a stall with a "difference!"

( I did ask her, but no, she didn't cycle there today!)

These knitted, and crocheted beauties are from Sarah of Sarah Carol Makes. There are some more of her makes below.

Don't you just love these tea cosies & knitted bunting!! You could almost eat those liquorice allsorts, and that fruit!! There really are some talented crafters here today!

These were the lovely vintage & retro offerings from Wend of Ticking Stripes. Lots of boxes to rummage through of fabrics & haberdashery too. Has anyone noticed the pink paisley eiderdown hiding right in the bottom left hand corner......., well I loved it soooo much, it had to come home with me!!! Will post pics soon : ) I have wanted one in pink paisley for ages, and here it was!!

What wonderful finds on this one!! My favourites are the 4 coloured cups & saucers in the middle what beautiful colours! This vintage retail therapy certainly beats walking round a boring shopping centre any day!! You never know what you will find! These all belong to Linda of Tabbyroo.

I love these little vintage image cushions from Linda too, what a great idea!

This is Philippa from Court & Spark blog. She makes a gorgeous colourful selection of pretty hearts, bunnies, flowers and cushions from a lovely range of vintage, and new cottons (including Liberty lawns!)

A lovely way to use them, is on an Easter tree, like the one above, what a lovely idea!

Well, as you can see, there was plenty today to tempt all the Vintage, & retro fans. The above stall was a great one, but I have forgotten who it belongs to! (Shame on me!!!)

It was a great day, a great event, and I thoroughly enjoyed meeting my blogger friends, it has such a lovely friendly atmosphere here, and is quite a social event!! Hope you've enjoyed looking round with me, and if you fancy coming along, the next one is on Saturday May 21st.

(In case you'd wondered, I will still be doing my Blogiversary Giveaway, but what with being really busy, and other matters, it is a little late.....ahem !!!

I hope to post about the lucky winner very soon.)

The day of Warkton Village Craft Market

2011-02-13T21:56:00.000Z

It was a beautiful, sunny Saturday morning. The birds were singing, the snowdrops, starry yellow winter aconites, and pretty croci were flowering in the gardens. What a great start to a Saturday!

Today was the day of the monthly craft market, in the beautiful little village of Warkton, near Kettering, in Northamptonshire. It was the first one of the year, and my first ever market there.

This is the lovely little church hall we would be in. What better location could you ask for?! Got there about 08.50 to get set up, and take a few pics. Come, and have a look with me!

The first stall is from Jacqui, of Soaphora. She makes the most beautifully fragrant soaps, bath melts, and lipbalms with gorgeous fragrances such as Violette, Chamomile Lawn, Raindrops on Roses, A breath of fresh air, and cinnamon cherry to name but a few. Her website link is www.astringofbeads.co.uk/store/ if you wish to take a peek.
I really love her packaging, take a look below -

It is so prettily presented in a shabby chic / French inspired style with delicate ribbon, flower, and button detail. As you can see, I treated myself, and I can see I will be tempted with more, both for me, and as presents!

There was also some really scrummy, cakes, chutneys, jams, and chocolates from Debbie of Butterfly Crafts. She makes Jellies, marmalades, flapjacks & shortbread too! A very, busy talented lady, and I'm just drooling at the thought of them!!!

Here are her pretty country style preserves!! A certain Someone will be getting a gift tomorrow from this stall, but it's a surprise for him : )

This stall is Michelle's of Button It. She is one of the organisers of this market, and creates really lovely button jewellery, such as earrings, necklaces, and rings. She also makes lots of lovely knitted items such as scarves, earwarmers, and brooches decorated with her beautiful bright buttons! The link will take you to her Facebook page, as her website is being worked on at the moment. A lovely bright, colourful stall!

The next lovely lady, was my 'next door neighbour' here. She's Sue, of The Gifts of Nature Workshop, she is a wood turner, and makes some of the most beautiful, tactile items such as bowls, plates, nutmeg grinders, pepper mills, and even some gorgeous oak acorn earrings, that I wish to buy another day!
She uses many native, and exotic woods, and the turned wood fruits she makes are just lovely.

This lovely stall, Quirky Boots, belongs to the other organiser of the market, Deanne. Another bright, colourful stall, with lots of lovely crocheted scarves, and brooches. Also lots of gorgeous felt brooches, hearts, and even some cute cupcake bunting! She also runs a monthly crafting group in this hall too, and has certainly done her bit to promote more opportunities for crafters in the area. All that, and she has a young son too!!

Now for some unknown reason, every time I tried to take a pic of this crafter's stall, I was unsuccessful, so sorry it's not as lovely as it should be! Ellie, of Sparkly Pretty Beautiful things creates the most exquisite jewellery from freshwater pearls, real semi - precious stones, and Swarovski crystals. It is perfect for a gift, or yourself, she even produces bridal jewellery. I loved it all : ) Her website is http://www.sparklyprettybeautifulthings.webs.com/. you will definitely find better pics on there!

More scrummy delights here!! This is Becky, who bought along her tempting selection of cupcakes, cookies & really 'naughty, but nice!' puddings, such as chocolate, fruit & sticky toffee!!

Sorry about the colour on this, but here's an example of those marvellous cupcakes!!! There is also a tea shop area too, so you could have a munch in between shopping!!

Finally, here is Shabby Polka dots contribution to the market!

All in all, I can honestly say I had a lovely day at the market, and enjoyed it immensely!! It is in a gorgeous rural location, the sun shone brightly on us, it is a lovely, friendly market with a warm, welcoming atmosphere, i have made lots of new friends, and look forward to going again!!
There are different crafters each month, so if you're ever nearby the 3rd Saturday of the month, it is certainly worth a visit!!
Hats off to Michelle, and Deanne for organising such a great little event!!! : D

2nd blogiversary Giveaway!!!

2011-01-30T22:48:00.000Z

Whoops !! Don't you find that so much is going on, that you sometimes don't get around to doing things? Well I have done that big time, because I forgot to celebrate my 2nd Blogiversary!! My excuse is that I celebrated a milestone Birthday earlier this month, and the gorgeous flowers above were given to me by my lovely OH : ) Also unknown to me, he had rung Radio Northampton, and on the morning of my Birthday I had a 'Bouquet call' from Bernie Keith, and was on the radio!! Fame at last !!! : D

Two years ago on 13th January, I had been really enjoying reading all the lovely blogs around for a few months, and finally decided to take the plunge. Clover Cottage blog was born : ) I don't live in a cottage, but am a country girl at heart, and that would be my dream home.

Here's one of the first pictures from that blog. Would I know what to write, would anyone want read it, what exactly did I have to do?? I had a thousand questions. That is the lovely thing about Blogland, there is always some kind, friendly person to help. As for knowing what to write, well, the problem is now, having the time to write!!!

I have always been creative, and get so much inspiration, and joy from Blogland!

So much so, that I now make, and sell my goodies at The Northampton Vintage Fair, also supply them to a lovely shop in Buckingham called Bridge Street Stores, and have a Blog Shop too! I don't think that I would ever have done this without the inspiration, and support by my lovely fellow bloggers!!

I have made so many lovely friends, and even have met some of them too!!
At Vintage fairs, craft fairs, in tea rooms, The Country Living Fair in London, and even in the middle of St Pancras Station!!!

I was very lucky to win a gorgeous giveaway by Noelle of sewonandsewon-noelle.blogspot.com/ She is a very talented lady & makes these wonderful little cottages, and some beautiful ,vibrant fabric collages!

Also a lovely little outfit for my granddaughter from the lovely, talented Pat from The Sewing Room . This lady is so talented, and makes the most gorgeous little outfits, she smocks, refurbishes furniture finds, and her blog is a pleasure to visit!

Another lovely thing about blogging, is all the inspiration you get to transform 'finds' from the car boot sale, charity shops, or even the tip!! I needed a bathroom cabinet, & this one was found at a car boot sale, looking a bit tatty, but transformed with a lick of paint!! Why buy new, when you can get the item at a fraction of the price, and have the satisfaction of creating something lovely!! ( Ahem!! actually OH painted this one for me.... but I did rub it down!!!)

Anyway, before I go much further, to celebrate my Blogiversary no 2, I am having a Giveaway!! It will be a surprise Giveaway, with something handmade, something scrummy, and something pretty. That's it for now, all you have to do is leave a comment on this blog, and the closing date will be Valentine's Day - February 14th. Just a little thank you, for 2 great years of friendship, fun, kindness and wonderful inspiration from you all!!!

THANK YOU ALL !!!

Warkton Craft Market & My Monthly makes 2011

2011-01-18T23:11:00.000Z

After all the snow, and icy weather, it was great to get out on a walk, and not have to tread carefully over ice, or trudge through snow. I'd like to show you around the small village we visited, and have something else to tell you about it!

Yes it's the village of Warkton, about 3 miles from Kettering, in Northamptonshire. It is a lovely little village, surrounded by farmland, with St. Edmund's Church in the centre of the village -

Quite a grand church for a small village, but the village was part of land that belonged to the Duke of Buccleuch.

The village is quite unspoilt with cottages a plenty! Love the clay roof tiles on this one, and that lovely porch.

Love this little thatched cottage, but wish I'd held the camera at the right angle!!!

Some cottages down by the farm with beautiful bargeboards on the end wall, and above the windows. I love the way that all of them are different, so beautiful & full of character!

I'd love to live in this one, stone & thatch, & plenty of room for flowers, vegetables & maybe chickens. Looks as though they didn't go short of brussels this year!!

This little village even has it's own village hall, and it's this place I'd like to tell you about!
Last November, I went to a local Christmas & Craft Fair, and on walking around I met a fellow crafter, Michelle of 'Button it'. www.buttonit.co.uk
Michelle makes lots of lovely button jewellery, such as earrings, bracelets , and necklaces, also gorgeous crocheted hats, scarves, and brooches too.
She told me that a few months before, that she, and her friend Deanne, had decided there was a shortage of craft related venues in the area, and they wanted to do something about it. On looking for a location, they came across the village of Warkton, and found this lovely hall, and so Warkton Craft Market was born! Here are their blog details - warktonvillagecraftmarket.blogspot.com
It is usually held on the 3rd Saturday of the month, there are about 8-10 crafters there, plus refreshments. Michelle, and Deanne have a different group of local crafters each month, so there is always something new. There are toys, jams and chutneys, soaps,and other toiletries, woodturned items, cards,cold porcelain, jewellery & gorgeous home baked cakes to name but a few. They are always looking for new crafters, and I couldn't resist!! I will be there on Saturday 12th February!! ( A week early due to Valentine's Day.)
I look forward to it, they are a friendly bunch of people, and if you're in the area, would love to see you : )

A few weeks ago, I joined in on Annie - The Felt Fairy's - A Monthly Make 2011. (See my side bar) We are a group of people who pledge to make something lovely each month. The first items I want to show, are the cute heart pics above. All are hand appliqued in really pretty cotton fabrics, with a choice of texts, such as the 'Always kiss me goodnight x', and 'Live Laugh Love'. Great for Valentine's Day, but of course can be enjoyed all year round. They will be in my blogshop -Shabby Polka dots tomorrow.

Also I have enjoyed making these cushions from this really pretty cotton fabric covered in gorgeous rosebuds.These three are destined for Bridge Street Stores.

Excuse the crafty untidiness!! This is my new sewing machine!!!! I love it, and it does all manner of embroidery, and lettering. I have perfected my buttonholes now!
Do you like the beautiful fabric? It is a discontinued Cath Kidston print called ' 'Lupin'. This will be a cushion for me, hopefully when I get time to make myself something : )

A LOOK BACK AT 2010 !!!

2011-01-05T20:00:00.000Z

JANUARY

A cold start, but this is not a post about the weather, it is about one great year!!!!
I had always wanted to participate in a craft fair, and this year I had the chance to have a stall at the Northampton Vintage & Homemade Fair. It was only about 7 weeks before the event that I finally decided I would actually do it!!!

The craftroom was getting organised!

Saw this beeeaauutiful kitchen in Wickes on New Years Day. This is the kitchen I want when I move - I love it !!!! It is distressed, and can't you just imagine it with pretty vintage china, flowers at the window , and with a stripped kitchen table & pastel coloured chairs!!!! Heaven indeed : )

FEBRUARY

Not too long till spring now : )

A stitchery completed for a giveaway.

The first country walk after the snow. A nearby house in this hamlet had opened its garden this day.

Found a lovely chair at the Bric a brac market, that I gave a Shabby Polka dots makeover to!!

MARCH

Was really lucky to win this gorgeous giveaway by Noelle!!

A few of the makes for the fair.

Some more makes & finds.(This was a mock up of my stall on the kitchen table, a few days before.)

.... and here's the real thing. My stall at the fair!

APRIL

Started selling my pictures, books, and cushions at my favourite shop in Buckingham : )

One of my appliqued cottage pictures. I also decided to set up my Shabby Polka dots blog shop this month too. The only problem was - my PC died on me!!! : (

MAY

Went on holiday near Scarborough, and went on the North York Moors Railway.

How I love North Yorkshire!! Just beautiful : )

Visited Whitby too.

JUNE

Appliqued cushions were being made, patchwork too.

Made my first Union Jack cushion from vintage polka dot, rosali & floral fabrics : )

Went to a magnificent patchwork exhibition by Nene Quilters at Northampton.

Open gardens in Buckingham.

JULY

Bought two gorgeous new roses for my garden.

Went to a barbeque. Here's a pic of a certain little girl who loves a hot dog!!

AUGUST

Gorgeous car boot finds !!

My latest nautical cushion made !

A lovely visit to open gardens in Cold Ashby, Northamptonshire.

SEPTEMBER

I made some more fabric covered notebooks.

This cushion was made for my friend's granddaughter. Love that fabric : )

A really pretty vintage tea set found at a car boot sale.

A great walk over the fields from Olney to Clifton Reynes.

OCTOBER

Love this CK fabric I got from Bicester Village : )

A rustic, folk art inspired cushion for the shop.

....and of course, the Autumn Northampton Vintage & Homemade Fair!!

This is my stall. Had a great day, and met lots of Blogging Friends : )

NOVEMBER

Getting ready for Christmas. (I didn't make the snowman quilt, snowman, wicker star, or Susie the cat though!!!)

A folk art heart with a cute angel appliqued on it.

DECEMBER

Crafting had to take back seat to Christmas shopping & preparations in December!!

All in all, it was a great year, and hope you've enjoyed 2010!!!

Let's hope 2011 is a good one for us all : )

Merry Christmas to you all : )

2010-12-22T19:52:00.000Z

I'm afraid that I'm another blogger who hasn't posted for a while due to being a very busy bunny!!!

Busy with crafts, fairs, shopping for Christmas presents, and all the other things such as working, and all the house & family stuff!

One thing I don't want to forget though, is how much I love Blogging, and my blogging pals : )

I hope that Santa brings you all the (or at least some of the ) things you want.

Not forgetting a peaceful, and relaxing time for you, and your family & friends - Happy Christmas!!!

( My, how my little Granddaughter has grown!! It will be nursery for her next year!!

Don't forget the feathered friends.

Love from Rudolf & his red nose too!!! : )

Bridge Street Stores - My favourite shop!!

2010-11-25T22:24:00.000Z

There is a lovely shop, that I can't resist going to visit everytime I go to Buckingham where my OH lives, it is a gorgeous little shop, full of wonderful displays, which change every time you go in there. It's definitely a credit to the owner, Nicky. (Wish she could come and do her magic to my house!!)
Come and have a look around with me : )

Some antique, some gorgeous country furniture. I love the chair, and that

wonderful clock!

Love also, this room with the rustic fireplace & stripped floorboards. You could just imagine standing near the stove to keep warm. The fragrance of winter spices , and cinnamon around smells so welcoming, and Christmassy!

Pretty Shabby chic painted furniture, and lots of beautiful, opulent glassware.

This is a sign I'd like to put up in my kitchen sometimes!!!!

Great decorative ideas for the festive season : )

A pretty display, including a cushion, and an appliqued picture for a little boy's room by Shabby Polka dots!

Even a cute bear for the teddy lovers out there : )

Wreaths full of wintery, Christmassy red berries.

A few more Shabby Polka dots cushions, covered in cute folk art snowmen!

Can't you imagine sipping spicy, mulled wine from those cranberry coloured glasses? Bet I could manage more than one!!!

Last stop is up the stairs to the attic room. Lots more country home goodies, and ideas. This is only a fraction of the goodies in this great shop, and if you're near the area, it's somewhere you just have to go to!!

There are some wonderful little independent shops in this lovely old market town, and lots of scrummy places to eat. Some charity shops, and a weekend bric-a-brac market, definitely a lovely, interesting old town to visit!!

Just thought I'd show you a pic of another resident of Buckingham. It's OH's tortoiseshell puss, Susie! As you all know, cats love warm comfy places, and

this time it appears to be my bag!!

Like the cat, keep warm & safe!!!

A GREAT DAY AT THE FAIR !!!!!

2010-10-24T22:33:00.000+01:00

Yesterday was the 3rd Northampton Vintage & Homemade Fair, and what a great day it was!!! It only started a year ago, and has established itself as 'the' Vintage event of the area!!
Fortunately I did have a bit of time before the event started, and took a few pics. The one above is my stall, and now let me show you a few of the others!

This was my next door neighbour's stall, Vicky, of 'Vicky loves Vintage'. She has a lovely selection of vintage and handmade, as you can see. I really love her vintage cushions, made from a gorgeous combination of Vintage fabrics!

I loved this stall too, can't remember the name, but I know the lady's name is Carol. Lots of vintage, and some of the most beautiful knitted & crocheted items. A friend of mine bought one of her wonderful tea cosies,allotment themed, and it was decorated in little knitted vegetables, such as carrots, leeks, onions & beetroots. It was gorgeous, and I'm sure the recipient will love it!!

This is Lindsey's stall 'Elsie Sparrow'. It is full of vintage & handmade prettiness! You can't see it too well, but behind these lovely makes is an old 'sit up & beg' vintage bike! She uses this at the Bicycle Bazaar, at Northampton Fishmarket, every last Saturday of the month!

A pretty little corner of Hesta Nesta's stall.Her blog is Hesta & The Pugs .Hesta Nesta has some absolutely wonderful vintage finds, and I love to read her blog. I'm so sorry I couldn't photograph more at the time.

This was Ann's stall, of Vintage at the Corner House blog. Ann is one of the organisers of the fair, and you could spend just ages browsing at her beautiful stock!!

... and here is some beautiful china, and glassware of Ann's : )

The other organiser, Debbie, of Home Thoughts from Vintage Wants blog, had another wonderful selection of vintage goodies. She's a very busy blogger, as she also has a unit at the Northampton Antique Centre too. The gorgeous eiderdown in the basket at the front of the stall caught my eye!!

Another lovely stall, which I'm afraid I don't know the name of!!

All in all, it was a busy fantastic day! I met quite a few lovely blogging friends, Wend of Ticking Stripes blog, Debbie from Dreaming of the Simple Life, Amy from Blighty Boutique, her mum too, of The Felt Fairy blog, to name but a few! I just wish I could have taken more pics.

There were lots of other stalls too, and it was a really friendly, successful event. It was as much a social occasion, as a fair!! It was great to meet up with blogging friends, customers, family & friends, just wish I'd had more time to speak to them all for longer!!

The next fair will be in the spring, date to be confirmed.

WATCH THIS SPACE !!!!!!

Pretty Vintage Finds at Car boot sale! : )

2010-10-12T21:21:00.000+01:00

Don't we all feel great when the sun is shining, it's warm, and we find some lovely treasures at the car boot sale?!!
I have posted about this tonight, but have put it on the Shabby Polka dots blog instead!! To see all the lovely things I found, just click on here -

SHABBY POLKA DOTS

It's so frustrating when you spend time compiling a post, and realise you've put it on the wrong blog!! For some reason my Shabby Polka dots posts don't appear on Dashboard, so 'cos of this, I thought I'd give you a link!

HAVE A GOOD WEEK!!

Shabby vintage Swap, and Giveaway!!!

2010-09-20T23:34:00.000+01:00

You may remember that quite a few weeks ago, Karen from Tilly Rose had the great idea to hold a Shabby Vintage swap. I was lucky to be partnered with Cate of Vintage Mum blog! This is a lovely blog to see, and I adore all the beautiful vintage images she has on there, it's beautiful!!
Well Cate, sorry I'm so late, but here it is at last!!
After opening the brown paper, I found this gorgeous pink, decoupaged box above!! Isn't it cute?!! Covered in lots of those beautful vintage images I love so much!! I adore pretty storage boxes, and this is used to store my ribbons, braids & lace in my craft room : )

Inside were these lovely little parcels wrapped in satin, lovely toile tissue paper & net! Here's what was inside

First of all, a sweet little china rosy posy vase, and a deliciously fragrant lavender sachet made by Cate!

Then a lovely little vintage inspired gift box of satin roses, and a pretty little envelope of vintage buttons. I will certainly make use of these!

Inside the toile tissue paper was this beautiful rosy embroidered piece of linen! I believe it is a holder for bread rolls. It's so pretty, and I love it, but please feel free to correct me if I'm wrong!
I also had a little net bag or red heart chocolates, and some lovely little vintage images. Thanks so much, Cate, love this swap, and so sorry it took so long to post it!!

Just thought I'd show you some of my most recent makes. Here are a few that are now in Bridge Street Stores in Buckingham. First of all is a cosy cushion in muted, homespun cottons with appliqued hearts.

A little homespun heart with appliqued angel & folk art rustic button.

Sorry about the blurred pic, but I also made a few little folk art stitcheries too.

Now onto the Giveaway!! I do apologise, but I am a few days late! Still better late than never!

The giveaway was one of my A6 fabric covered notebooks. You can choose one from my blog posts, or if you are on Facebook, the Shabby Polka dots page. Just click on the Facebook link on the right hand column of this blog, and you can see the designs. You can either have 'Notebook' stitched on it, or have it personalised with your name etc.

Some are patchwork like the one above, some are one fabric like the one below -

A gorgeous Cath Kidston red paisley.

Or even a bright, cheerful seaside print, complete with beach huts, sand & sea. For those that asked this is called 'Seaside Border Stripe' from Makower UK.

Now onto the winner!!!!!

Drum roll !!!!!!!!!!!!

Taadaaahhhh!!!!!!

The winner is..........................

********************

BELLABOO from BELLA'S COUNTRY blog!!!!

Congratulations Bellaboo!!!!

Would you please leave me a message on here, or e-mail me on

shabbypolkadots@hotmail.co.uk, and we can discuss fabrics & any other details.

THANKS TO EVERYONE THAT ENTERED!! I wish I could give everyone a prize, but don't think I have enough time!!!

A lovely walk & country cottages

2010-09-12T22:32:00.000+01:00

What a beautiful sunny day it has been today. We decided to take a trip out to Olney, a lovely little town in Buckinghamshire. You may know it as the town the first Shrove Tuesday Pancake race began in 1445!!!!!

Well this is where it finishes, not far from the lovely church there.

We had a coffee, and a leisurely mooch around the shops there, and as the weather was so sunny, and warm, we decided to go for a trundle.

Down by the church, over the fields.

Over the river Ouse....
In the distance, we saw buildings. Was it just a farm, or was it a village. To find out, & explore, we walked further. Look what we found, after about a mile!

It was the pretty little Buckinghamshire village of Clifton Reynes. This was one of the first cottages we saw, and it's owner was doing some work on the house. We had a chat with him, and he told us there were only about 40 houses in the village, so more a hamlet than village. It's a really pretty, unspoilt area with lots of lovely walks.

Also he had lots of unwanted Bramleys to offer, how could I resist!! After all my two apple trees are bare this year, what a kind thing to do!

Now for a little look around at this gorgeous little village.

Really love this cottage with that gorgeous porch, and just look at those tiles!

One of the pretty country lanes from the hamlet. May have to investigate further another time : )

Such pretty cottages, in a lovely rural setting!

Looks as though there was a little school here once.

Look at this grand looking Victorian house on the edge of the hamlet! How I would love to live here!!

Don't you just love that doorway! The stained glass is beautiful! I would love to see it at night with the light shining through it!

I always like to see the smiling faces of pansies!!

A lovely splash of colour for the autumn.

On the very edge of the village, walking back to Olney, I managed to get a pic of the back of this magnificent looking Manor house. Wouldn't it be great to have a guided tour!!

I 'm not sure whether these are mushrooms, or toadstools. Not a good idea to pick unless you know for sure!!

Back across the fields, and along the river to Olney, and a well earned coffee & cake at the local museum Heritage weekend.
Olney is a lovely little town, with lots of individual little shops, and tempting eateries. Definitely worth a visit if you find yourself in the area.
Hope you've enjoyed sharing this little country ramble with me. You certainly have to make the most of a lovely sunny day!! : )

: )

Northampton Vintage & Homemade Fair !!!!

2010-08-30T01:00:00.001+01:00

I'm so pleased that the date for the next Northampton Vintage & Homemade Fair has been announced!!!

I did my first ever fair at the spring Vintage fair in March, and felt a bit nervous to begin with. Would my stall look good?, would I sell much? would people like my makes? As the day progressed I enjoyed it immensely, meeting quite a few lovely blogging friends, and selling lots of wares!! ( the cakes were scrummy too!!)

It was something I had always wanted to do, and thanks to Ann, Vintage at the Corner House & Debbie, Home Thoughts from Vintage wants (the organisers) I had that chance. I definitely am looking forward to the next event!!

If you're in the area, or not too far away, it would be great to see you! Lots of gorgeous Vintage stalls, lovely handmade items too (a good time to do some of your seasonal shopping!) There's also a chance for a rest, and nibble in the Vintage Tea shop - definitely recommended : ). All of this with the sound of Vintage music in the background.
I now have a few days off work, so will be busy with my makes for the fair.
Have a good week!

Giveaway & getting ready for the fairs!

2010-08-24T21:46:00.000+01:00

As you probably know I love crafting, and some of the items I make are fabric covered books. Here are a few I have been making recently. The one above is in a scrummy red paisley Cath Kidston fabric!

This one is in a patchwork mixture of Rosali paisley, polka dot, and a very pretty sprigged floral CK fabric. All have hand embroidered labels.

What about this little seaside themed book? I really love this fabric, and will show you the back too!

It's sooooo cute!!!

If you like pink, I hope you like this! A pretty pink patchwork book in CK paisley & posy fabric, and cute pink polka dot.

...... and here's a pretty spring green notebook in Laura Ashley gingham & CK birds & flowers. ( Shame on me, but I've forgotten the name of the fabric!!!)

Here's one I made today. This book is covered in a beautiful 1920's inspired fabric with opulent peacock feathers.

Well, all of this is leading to a Giveaway that I am having at the moment. The winner will be able to choose one of the notebooks, and can even have it personalised with their name.

To enter, just leave a comment on this post, and for an extra entry, become a liker on my Facebook page - Shabby Polka dots. You have up until Friday 17th September to enter. Good luck : )

At present I am busy crafting for 3 fairs in the autumn, and also for the shop I supply. I do want to add some items to my Blog shop, but at present am a bit too busy. I wish there were 48 hours in a day, and 10 days a week!!

These coathangers are WIPs (works in progress)

They just need decorating, and the lavender in my garden is being harvested for Lavender bags too.

I went to a carboot sale this weekend!

I found this little vintage teaset!

On checking the web, I found out that it dates from between 1935-1949.

Also this carnival glass bowl too! All ready for my stall at the Northampton Vintage & Homemade Fair on Saturday October 23rd.

Finally, I have a friend who has a 4 year old grand daughter. She asked me if I could make her a little cushion for the little girl's chair at her house. This was the cushion I made for her. Now, her little granddaughter is starting school next week, and I will be making her granddaughter a little PE bag in the same fabric, as she loves her little cushion. Hope she enjoys her big new adventure!!

Open Village Gardens

2010-08-08T19:03:00.000+01:00

One thing I love about sunny summer weekend afternoons, is the opportunity to wander & have a visit around some of the local Open Gardens. This weekend, a Northamptonshire village had it's annual Open Gardens, so we thought we'd pay a visit.
The village is called Cold Ashby, and has this name, as it is the highest point in the county, so , as it isn't sheltered, can get really cold!

Here is one of the beautiful cottages in the village.

This one was near some traditional English country entertainers.....

... well I would say 'Morris Men', but as there were ladies too, I will describe them as 'Morris Dancers'. Complete with their own musicians.

Come and see the delights of the garden behind this cottage!

It is a garden of many inviting 'nooks & crannies'! Love this little bridge : )

Full of wonderful summer flowers, and can I see a wishing well in the distance.....?

Just love this bridge! The lilies smelt gorgeous. Can you see the little frog sitting on the right of the bridge, looking over the pond?

Near the wishing well was a plant stall, I couldn't resist visiting there, and will

show you what I bought later.

The garden we have just been meandering around, belonged to the man who lives in this cottage. He lived there, and had a massive garden, so he sold the cottage, and retained half the garden, and built his own cottage next door!

Don't we all wish we had the opportunity to do that??!! I wouldn't be able to help much with the building, but would love having my own cottage in the country to make home!!! This would be my ultimate dream! Making curtains, and cushions, transforming old furniture into shabby chic pieces, collecting carboot & charity shop finds! Aaaaah, HEAVEN INDEED!!!!

This is the view from one of the gardens. What a lovely view!! The lady had gravel in her garden, and didn't think she needed a lawn with a view like that!!

I'm sure these two love living here!! Looks as though they can't wait to get out again, Who can blame them?!

Near the end we had a bit of a shower & sheltered in the church.

Loved the flower arrangements!

Sorry they're a bit blurred, but I'm sure you get the idea!

We ended up the the village hall for cream teas, a lovely way to end a great afternoon!!

Not forgetting the beautiful flowers OH bought me on the way back home : )Red roses, carnations, gorgeous scented white freesias, and gypsophila!

Just lately I have been busy crafting, here are a few of my fabric covered note books. I have a fair on Saturday 11th September, and the Northampton Vintage & Homemade Fair on 23rd October, so will be busy crafting for the fairs!

Oh, here are the plants I bought this afternoon. 2 alpine Strawberries - 50 pence each, 2 pots of chives - 20 pence each, and an ornamental grass (Festuca Glauca) - 20 pence!! Certainly cheaper than garden centres!!

The little yellow vegetable at the front is a Pattypan squash. Will be cooking that with cheese, herbs , and bacon in the week!

More notebooks ' on the block'!!

Have a great week!! : )

Look what I found at the car boot sale !!!!

2010-07-25T21:51:00.000+01:00

Aren't we having a lovely, sunny summer?!! One of the great things about summer is having a leisurely mooch around the car boot sales. The one I went to this weekend, I didn't find much at, but what I did find was totally unexpected!
About five or six stalls along the first row, I spotted crocheted lace, and embroidered linen!! Of course I had to have a closer look!! There was a bundle of lace trimmed, and embroidered tablecloths!! I looked, and they were a bargain price!! I handed over the cash, and went away a very happy car booter!!
Would you like to see?

The first is a pretty hand embroidered tablecloth, with gorgeous bundles of hyacinths & blooms on each corner. It's do prettily embroidered, it must have taken some clever needlewoman hours !

Here's no. 2 embroidered tablecloth! This one adorned with roses & trellis.

Sorry about the pic, there was a bit of a breeze this afternoon!!

I don't know if these were all stitched by the same person, but there is certainly a lot of work in them!!

The first of the lace trimmed cloths! White linen with beautifully crocheted lace edging!

This one is my favourite! It has a crocheted lace edging, drawn thread work, and embroidered flowers in the corners.

A little close up of the embroidered flowers & drawn thread work. So pretty, (you will have to excuse the creases, as ironing will be the next job!)

As you can imagine, I was so pleased with my find. It's not often you come across something like this, and I certainly hope it's not the last time!!

As for crafting, I am working on a Union Jack cushion at present -

........just like this one I made earlier!!! I love making these, as I can include pieces of my favourite fabrics. In this one there's CK Provence Rose, Rose Paisley, and some pretty Rosali, & of course, you have to include few Polka dots too!!

Also, I have started a few of these too. I love pretty, flowery designs, but here's something for the boys! I first made this design up as a little picture -

then decided to make a co-ordinating cushion!

I have a fair in September, the local Vintage & Handmade fair in October, and a school fair in December, so I had better get busy!!

Have a lovely week!!

Lazy summer afternoons & other lovely things!!

2010-06-29T22:38:00.000+01:00

Don't you just love sunny summer afternoons?

This Sunday, the men in the house were busy watching the Grand Prix, and then the football. Not for me I'm afraid, I thought I'd have a quiet afternoon in the garden. In my last post, I had just bought two lovely David Austin roses, Geoff Hamilton (pink), and Darcey Bussell (red). I couldn't wait for them to flower, so here they are, with some pinks from the garden, and a few sprigs of lavender (and some silver foliage that i've forgotten the name of!)

I love the old English style roses, and will be getting some large containers to put them in, as I will be moving in the next year, or two, and wouldn't want to leave them behind!

I took some pics of these lovely old roses at a garden fete at a hamlet called Courteenhall, near where I lived as a child. This definitely inspired me to take advantage of a special offer at the garden centre!

I planted up a container too. This lovely old galvanised bucket, was left by the old lady who lived at my last house, before we moved in. I inherited two lovely old chimney pots from that house when we had a chimney stack removed, but unfortunately they were stolen from outside my house a few years ago! i will never get any like them again, but at least I still have the bucket - I won't be standing that in the front garden!! It's a shame , but I don't want the same thing to happen again!

It has a Fuschia, Marguerites, Lamium, and Lobelia planted in it. All a bit small at present, but it won't take long for them to grow : )

I love Lavender, I love it's fragrance, love to see it, the bees like it, and can't wait to harvest it for craft projects! A truly versatile plant! I want to use it to cook with too, hopefully I should have enough!

I'd like to show you a few bargains I have acquired recently too.

The little blue cafe table ,and chairs, came from Sainsbury's of all places. I got this late last summer for £29.99! As soon as I saw it I loved it, and when I looked at the price, I didn't hesitate!

On a weekend in Norfolk I found the embroidered linen table cloth for £3 !

It's really pretty, with a scalloped edge, and is perfect for the table! The two cushions were bargain finds from Emmaus.

One is a lovely blue check Laura Ashley fabric.

.... and the other is a pretty patchwork star in Laura Ashley fabrics. Not bad for the princely sum of £2.00!

Now onto the 'other lovely things'.

Lissy Lou, one of my blogging friends opened a Blog shop recently called Poppy and Daisy . She sells lovely handmade items, such as pretty cushions, lavender hearts, book marks, and scented sachets, all in the most beautiful fabrics. She also sells vintage & pre owned items too, Definitely worth a look!

I treated myself to this lovely Lavender heart in a gorgeous 'Mabel Lucie Atwell fabric. I love the artwork in the 'Mabel Lucie Atwell' books, and couldn't resist this!!

It goes really well with the little cross stitch picture in my craft room, that was my first attempt at a cross stitch kit! I bought this when my daughter was a baby, and after having to take it to a friend as I'd made a mistake & she had to unpick some of it for me, she put me on the right track, and this was the result! if it hadn't have been for Melanie, I would have shut it away in disgust, and forgotten about it!! Thanks Mel : )

I also joined in on a 'Fabric Addict' swap with Zoe from Buttons and Bows

blog. She is an avid crafter, and has a fantastic 'Folksy' shop, with loads of gorgeous ribbons, buttons, and sequins. I'm sure I will be tempted in the near future!! Below, are the lovely items she sent me.

Some lovely fabric, and a selection of her gorgeous ribbons! Sorry my pic isn't good, best to check on the Folksy shop .

Some lovely buttons, and sparkly sequins. Also two cute little heart keyrings!

Love her polkadot ribbon : )

....and an issue of this great magazine! Thanks so much, Zoe !!

Hope to show some of my makes next time. I do find that I cant do much crafting when it's hot. Not complaining though!!

English Country Gardens & other lovely things!

2010-06-20T23:47:00.000+01:00

From Friday to today it has been the open gardens weekend in Buckingham. Buckingham is lovely old town where my OH lives, and we decided to go and have a look, fancy coming too?

First of all, a little peek of some of the lovely old buildings in the town.

Now on to the gardens -

Love those rambling roses, the lavender underneath will be gorgeous in a few weeks time.

What a hedge! Wouldn't fancy clipping that! Bet the birds make good use

of that cute birdhouse!!

Love this cheeky little fellow! What a great idea!

"In my next garden..." says she wistfully. " I would like a greenhouse like this, and to grow some vegetables in raised sleeper beds like these".

How lush, and green it all looks.

Not the most showy of plants in an English country garden, but certainly one I wouldn't be without. The divine scented Honeysuckle!

A peaceful spot for refreshments! We have a pot of tea, sandwiches, and cakes, fancy joining me?

Of course, the garden wouldn't be complete without roses, would it?

My absolute favourites are the old English roses!

I treated myself to two David Austin roses a few weeks ago. One is called 'Geoff Hamilton', which is a pretty pale pink, and the other is a 'Darcy Bussell', a beautiful crimson red. They're only out in bud now, and I can't wait until they flower! : )

These are such a gorgeous yellow!

Pretty pink ramblers.

......and a darker claret coloured rose too.

A shady little pathway back to the house.

Now time for tea and cakes, or if like me you don't drink tea, elderflower champagne!!!

I also went to Barnwell Family fun day at Barnwell Country Park, near Oundle, Northants, last Sunday.

A lovely peaceful area by the lake.

Falconry

Just look at these wonderful teddies for sale!

One of the other lovely craft stalls there.

This lady used to sell her lovely decoupaged keepsake boxes to Harrods!

Now this stall was very special - it is the stall of a very talented blogging friend, Karen of Tilly Rose blog. I started speaking to her last year, and we had planned to meet up, and this day we did! She's a lovely person, and it's great to meet blogging friends in person!

As you can see, she makes the most pretty cushions, lavender pillows, bags, gorgeous childs bunting, and beautifully crocheted brooches. I treated myself to one of the brooches, and I LOVE IT!! Her website is such a beautiful one to visit, with lots of wonderful ideas for presents, and things to treat yourself with. Certainly worth a look!!

Hope you've enjoyed joining me on my travels, and have a great week, and lots of sunshine ! : )

I love quilts!! Nene quilters Patchwork weekend!

2010-06-13T23:04:00.000+01:00

It has been a lovely, sunny weekend, and I'd just like to share with you, the place I went to on Saturday, hope you like it!

I couldn't resist taking the pic above!!! It's what you get when you cross a rugby club, with some cheeky quilters!!

This is a statue outside Northampton Saints Rugby club, where this weekend Nene Quilters held a fantastic quilt show! I attend a patchwork & quilting group called 'Barton Patchers' in a nearby village, where quite a few girls in the group are members of Northamptonshire 'Nene Quilters'. They have been really busy arranging this weekend, so come and have a look!

You may have noticed the bunting on the rugby players, and in this picture. There must have been miles of it. The bunting flags were all made by various members of county quilting groups, and donated to the guild for this weekend & future events. An excellent idea, Would be a good idea to do this for town or village events, everyone could add their own contribution!

This must have been one of my favourite quilts! I love the bright colours,and I love seeing all those beautiful house blocks together. What a great idea for a village, or local community quilt! There could be the church on there, the local school, and even the pub!

This North American threesome of quilts were awesome! So detailed!

I love this floral quilt with a 3D effect. The bright flowers and leaves look stunning against the marbled midnight blue fabric!

On a nautical theme this time, and looks like a gift lovingly made for a little boy who loves boats! A gorgeous nine patch & appliqued quilt, with matching comfy cushion.

A summery, garden quilt with a greenhouse, and flowers.

I never knew there was a Northampton, in Western Australia! A gorgeous densely quilted design with Antipodean flowers.

Another wonderful 3D quilt. I love that basket of flowers, and the climbing plant meandering it's way around the edge.

This is another of my absolute favourites! It is beautifully quilted, and all the coloured designs on it are painstakingly embroidered! I tried taking some close ups to show more detail....

Well, one came out anyway! Such neat quilting, and such wonderful embroidery. I bet this will be treasured as a family heirloom! What inspiration!

This was my contemporary favourite. Such wonderful, vivid rainbow colours!

A beautiful scalloped edge appliqued quilt with some the most detailed, and intricate quilting, and a lovely, traditional 'double wedding ring' quilt.

Not the clearest of photos, but I couldn't resist posting this as the last pic.

A scene from the quilt a few pics up. Sitting on a sunny summer's afternoon, in an English country garden, surrounded by the scents, and colours, birdsong, and bees buzzing ....... Paradise indeed!!

I can only say thanks indeed to Nene Quilters for hosting such a marvellous weekend! I'm sure they have provided so much inspiration to so many people, and the venue was excellent!

I did take lots of photos of the stalls, and quilts, but unfortunately knocked the setting of my camera, causing some blurred photos.Sorry about that. Luckily some weren't affected!

Can't wait till the next show!!! : )

Will post about my Sunday very soon!!

Summer Days & Crafting Along!

2010-06-06T22:15:00.000+01:00

We've been to Whitby, North Yorkshire. How I love this county!

This was at Grosmont, a stop off the North York Railway, just before Whitby. a very pretty place.

Robin Hood's Bay

A steep walk back up the hill, but really worth it!

What a view!

If you've never been there before, this is just a little taste of North Yorkshire. I'm sure you can see why I adore it!!

I have been really busy crafting too......want to see ?

One of my appliqued cushions.

My shabby chic take on a Union Jack cushion.

Polka dot & applique cushion for the place we love best!!

Something for the boys - a Nautical picture. Also could be personalised.

Also the cushion to go with the picture! With a more boyish take on polka dots! I think they would also look great in a bathroom.

These ones are destined, or have gone to the shop I supply, I will be making some for Shabby Polka dots blogshop. If there is anything you are interested in, then please feel free to e-mail me at shabbypolkadots@hotmail.co.uk .

Hope everyone has a great week, and hope we get that sunshine back! : )

A week away!!

2010-05-18T22:27:00.000+01:00

Last week, we had a week away in North Yorkshire! I love this area, beautiful countryside, pretty villages, great towns, and of course, one of my favourite cities - York!

Unfortunately the first day was a bit wet, but visiting the above shop, certainly brightened it up!! It doesn't look too big from the outside, but goes back a long way!

As always, I could have bought the shopful of fabric,but I had to make a choice & decided on the blue Provence rose, and cream Rose paisley.

Just before going away, I bought the latest edition of Easy Living magazine, and I was lucky enough to take advantage of the 15% off offer. Unfortunately this didn't apply to fabrics, but did to the next item.....

A lovely set of Provence Rose mugs!! I have loved these since I first saw them in the CK magazine, and this was the time to get them!! That box will definitely be used in the craft room!!

The next day was sunny, and dry. Today we made our way to Pickering, and went to the North York Moors Railway. We boarded a steam train to a village called Grosmont.A lovely relaxing way to travel, and plenty of beautiful countryside all around to see. Some of the railway banks were covered in primroses!! I have never seen so many!!

and we made a few stops on the way. Don't you just love these old vintage enamel signs? It's amazing how many of these brands are still around.

We first stopped at Goathland. This is where the ITV series 'Heartbeat' was filmed.

Complete with one of the 60's Ford Anglia Police cars.

What a combination of businesses here!!

Would definitely recommend the tea shop here. It was an all day breakfast for the men, and jacket potato & tuna mayonnaise for me.

You can see why I adore this area! Isn't the world a beautiful place?!

We then boarded the next train to Grosmont. A really pretty little place.

I can never resist taking close up pics of wild flowers. Love seeing the Welsh poppies with the bluebells.

If you're ever here, you must go to the Art & Craft Gallery. It is full of wonderful artwork & beautiful crafts. At the back of the Gallery, is a tea room area. The owner is a lovely person & you can enjoy a coffee lazing on a comfy sofa, or chair, with a pile of gorgeous mags to read & relaxing chilled out music in the background - sheer heaven!!! : )

A lovely experience, definitely something to try if you're in the area, just like going back in time!

Shabby Polka dots Giveaway Winner!!!

2010-05-01T21:27:00.000+01:00

At the beginning of the month I informed you all about the opening of Shabby Polka dots Blogshop, also the Giveaway to celebrate this. There would be the above 'Home Sweet Home' pic.

Also something yummy - Thorntons milk chocolate with orange & cardamom. Mmmmmmm!!!

The something scented is two Yankee Candle tarts in a lovely fresh Willow Breeze fragrance , and t'other is a gorgeous, fruity Mango Blossom!!!

Well this was all going to happen on 14th April, and on the Sunday before, my pc died!!

Now I'm back with a new pc, and tonight is the Giveaway, and blogshop opening!!! (AT LAST!!)

Well here goes!!

*****************************

TAAADDDAAAHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

*****************************

Using the Random Number Generator, the number chosen is 10

Number 10 is ..............................

The lovely Lydia, of Waving or Drowning blog! : )

If you could e-mail me your address details on my Shabby Polka dots e-mail address, Lydia. I will get your parcel sent out on Tuesday to you!

I wanted some pretty personalised labels for my new Blogshop. I found a great Ebay seller from the US, and got these lovely labels from her. Fortunately, mine don't have 'SAMPLE' printed across them!!

This is my latest W.I.P. I have wanted to make one of thse for ages!! Have included the red, white & blue of the Union Jack with a shabby, floral & polkadot twist. All I have to do now, is to transform it into a cushion!

Now is my time to go over to my Shabby Polka dots blog, and to open the Blog shop!!!

LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU THERE!!! : )

I'm back !!!!!!

2010-04-26T22:53:00.000+01:00

Just a little post to tell you all that I am back with a working PC, in the land of blog! YAAAAAAAYYYYYYYY!!!!!!!!! It's so good to be back, and I have missed you all.
2 weeks ago, my old PC had a problem with it's motherboard, and died on me!! : ( Isn't it horrible to be without the internet?!! My OH kindly bought a new one for me yesterday, and here I am again!!!

By the way the pic above is of Susie, my OH'S cat. She is a lovely, friendly, affectionate puss, who seems to love lying on my bags!!! ( But then , don't all cats make themselves comfy, where they shouldn't?!!)

As you may remember, I was going to open my blogshop Shabby Polka dots that week, and draw the winner of the GIVEAWAY too. Obviously the computer probs put paid to that! I texted, and spoke to my pal, Lissy Lou, and she was great informing Bloggers, Shabby Chic Cafe & Facebook re my PC mishap! Thanks so much, Lissy, I really appreciate it!
I will be opening the Blogshop & doing the Giveaway this Saturday evening. If anyone else wishes to enter, then you are welcome to leave a comment.
I have been very busy making cushions for the store I supply, and the pictures have done very well too!

One of the cottages that wll be available, in a pretty pink frame.

....and here's one of the patchwork notebooks that will be in the shop!

I would have liked to post more pics, but lots are on my old PC. Luckily, I do

have a friend, who should be able to get them put on this one at some time soon.

I am also working on some other applique designs at the present, one being

a little nautical design of a yacht. I can't show a pic yet, as it's still a work in

progress, but thought it would be ideal for a little boy's room. Will keep you posted!

Lovely to be back again!!! Hope you all have a great week : ) See you at the weekend!!