What a Day!

Thank you so much to all our lovely stallholders who put on the most delectable show so far! The Cheese and Grain was transformed on Saturday thanks to everyones hard work and preparation. A really special 'thanks' goes to Michael who helped out on the front desk while Mr D was wrestling a small child! and to Trixie who rented him out to us!! Do look at our dedicated blog http://www.thevintagebazaar.blogspot.com/ for more details and pictures. If you didn't make it this time the next date for your diaries is Sat 29th Oct....I'll leave you with some pictures to drool over.

ooooh! I say look whats coming to the fair!

'The Vintage Bazaar' is fast approaching so here is a naughty peep at some of the delights that will be on my stall! Hope to see you all there this Saturday from 9-3pm at The Cheese and Grain in Frome where there will be a hall full of wonderful vintage yumminess!

This weekend has been wonderful. Yesterday I had my stall at the original vintage and handmade fair in Chipping Sodbury and got to see lots of my lovely and talented friends. The day started with the usual panic about what I'd brought and what I'd left behind and trying to arrange the table. I had done a test run at home this time as I had more stock and photographed it but when I got there I couldn't quite get it right! My eldest was a big help carrying things in from the car and helping to set up...I may have to start paying her before too long! I even left her in charge (much to her delight!) while I nipped to get some much needed caffeine from the kitchen only to come back and find her selling a hat! Jayne And Michele did a wonderful job and there were plenty of delightful things for sale from everyone. It's always such a great day because not only do I get to make some pocket money but I get to see and chat to some fab people who are interested and excited by all the same things I am! There are just too many highlights so I'll let the pictures do the talking ( some thanks to the loveeerrly Woo).

Step Back in Time

This weekend we ventured down to Ilminster in Somerset for the Talent for Textiles event. We haven't been there before despite hearing very good things about it so we thought we'd make a day of it. The fair itself was superb with a select number of quality stalls inside the Arts Centre. There were some familiar names there like my partner in crime Liz with her wonderful fabrics and clothes plus the lovely Donna and her glamorous mum with their tempting fat quarters, ribbons and fabric. Before I arrived Liz and Donna had found some fabulous finds including some curtain panels designed by Hockney for Celia Birtwell! I found a stunning dark teal 20's dress in wonderful condition which I'll be taking to the Vintage Bazaar. After the fun of the fair we walked down into the town and visited the toy shop and sweet shop much to the delight of the little 'Darlings'. The town is a real step back in time with 'real' shops..the butcher, the bookshop,the sweet shop but best of all was when we saw R.A Dyers a traditional drapers complete with the best examples of shop fittings I have ever seen! They have recently launced a website so do have a peep! http://www.dyersofilminster.com/history.html I have to admit to being quite overwhelmed by it all and asked the manageress if I could take some pictures, she was very sweet and said I could. The place was crammed with history and I imagine that it must have been very similar to the shop my Nana and Grandpa owned many years ago. Mr D also saw a bookshop up for sale so we both dreamt about moving there..me running the gorgeous Dyers and Mr D becoming a bit like Bernard from 'Black Books' drinking too much wine and being abusive to the customers!!

Smile!

This weekend we all went to Frome to heavily publicise 'The Vintage Bazaar' by putting our lovely postcards in numerous shops and cafes. Whenever we're there we make a beeline for the shops on Catherine Hill and today was no exception, popping into Marmalade Yarns to see Maxine http://www.marmaladeyarns.co.uk/, Poot (obviously) and Millie Moon http://milliemoonshop.co.uk/ to drop off plenty of flyers. It was lovely to hear that last time the Bazaar was on the shops up Catherine hill were really busy with new customers. Its so important that these sort of independant shops thrive in todays society where we tend to favour the 'big' names! While we were there there we also visited a wonderful exhibition called 'Smile' at The Black Swan Gallery ( http://www.blackswan.org.uk/exhibitions_black_swan_arts_Detail.php?SMILE-16) where we were lucky enough to see work by several artists including the wonderful Julie Arkell. One of my favourites was poor Stanley and his rabbit girls, i dont know what hes done but they're clearly not happy with him!! It is a touring exhibition and features some truly inspiring work so if it comes to a town near you..........

Long time, no see!

I have been neglecting my blog of late so I sat down today and thought I must get on and update it! Looking at the last time I blogged there's an awful lot thats happened including an Alice in Wonderland birthday party, Christmas and new year, numerous flea markets and fairs and now working towards the next Vintage Bazaar! Christmas seems a long time ago now and the snowy weather (although beautiful) did scupper the plans we had made for it but luckily we still got to see all the family. 'Poot' in Frome had nearly run out of hats before Christmas so I spent a good couple of weeks designing and making for them and some lovely customers ( Isabelle and Annette!) and I am now starting to design for Spring/Summer and marketing The Vintage Bazaar furiously! http://www.thevintagebazaar.blogspot.com/ We have had so many requests for stalls and are adding some new names to the list of stallholders for our next one. The date for your diaries is Sat 30th April at the same venue (the Cheese and Grain in Frome) so Liz and I hope to see you all there again for more fun! Before the Bazaar there are some more lovely fairs to visit including The Vintage and Handmade Jumble Sale, The Original Vintage and Handmade Fair http://www.vintageandhandmade.co.uk/ and The Vintage Textiles and Costume Day http://www.dairyhouseantiques.blogspot.com/. Lots of excuses to spend and help the economy!!

The Original Vintage and Handmade Fair....and a small moan!

This Sunday is the much anticipated 'Vintage and Handmade Fair' http://http//www.vintageandhandmade.co.uk/ in Chipping Sodbury from 10am. It is always a wonderful fair and the organisers Michele and Jayne really pull out all the stops. This time the fair is larger with even more stalls selling things to easily tempt the pennies from your purses! so even if the weather is cold and blustery you can be sure of hot tea, yummy cakes and original, beautiful christmas presents. I personally owe an awful lot to the organisers of this fair. It all started when I found a postcard advertising the first V and H and went along to see what was on offer. While there I met the lovely Nicky http://http//thevintagemagpie.typepad.com/ and got chatting about the world of blogging (something I had never heard of before!) and went home inspired to start my own and hoping that I may be able to have a stall at the next fair with my millinery. Without the V and H I wouldn't have started my blog, wouldn't be part of the V and H fairs and most likely wouldn't have got together with Liz and organised 'The Vintage Bazaar' so I am hugely grateful to those lovely ladies! It is because of this that I feel very strongly when other individuals take the fair name they developed. Liz and I had an arduous task coming up with a name that would create the right feel for our 'Bazaar' and were very aware about copying ones which were already out there. It is such a shame therefore that others feel less creative about their naming skills, especially as we all seem to be a rather nice bunch of people, well most of us!..........moan over!

Hope to see you all at 'The Original Vintage and Handmade Fair'......snow or no snow!

The Vintage Bazaar!

Well today started early (5.00am to be precise!) and off we went to Frome packed up with hats, corsages, jewellery, fascinators etc etc...We arrived and unpacked, ready to start the day. There were so many wonderful stalls selling exquisite vintage delights that it was difficult to focus on setting up and before we knew it it was 9am and the customers started coming in. We had the lovely Jack and Mr Darling on the front desk and Edwin http://http//www.blindlemonvintage.co.uk kindly helped too, looking very dapper indeed! We were kept busy all day and we had over 1000 visitors....apparently we blocked the roads through Frome several times during the day as people tried to park..sorry Frome! There was a great atmosphere all day and we even had some famous faces turn up too. Despite one of our two makeover ladies being ill my eldest and her friend still managed to have a 40's makeover, victory rolls and lipstick!

Thank you so much to everyone who turned up, stallholders and customers for making the day such a great success...here's to the next one!