The Vintage Magpie

It's here!

I'm so excited about this!   My first ever calendar has arrived!  Happy Days!

With a picture of one of the above Magpie bears for each month of the year.... for example, here is "Mr March" :-)

If you would like to order one for yourself or for someone you love for Christmas please visit my little shoppe here.  They are £10.99 plus £2.50 p&p, and I shall post them out to you within 2-3 days of ordering so they can be with you in good time to put in your stockings on Christmas Eve!

On Sunday I shall be packing up my suitcases again and travelling down to Cornwall to take part in the Christmas Bear Fair in Lostwithiel.  There will be lots of wonderful exhibitors so we are very excited to be part of it.  If you are anywhere near on Sunday, please pop in and say hello!

Have a wonderful weekend everyone xx

The Christmas House

I couldn't wait to get my hands on the December issue of Country Living magazine, as I knew that Liv's Christmas House was going to be featured.

 

This is the Christmas House I mentioned in my post on Monday, and we are lucky enough to live a five minute drive away!  During the year Liv has a market stall in Newton Abbot on Wednesdays and Saturdays, where she sells beautiful things all year round, but in the run up to Christmas she opens her house to all things festive.  The house is located in a little village called Ogwell, and every year Liv gives up her beautiful cottage on Sunday's and Monday's and stocks it full to the gunnells with Christmas decorations and gifts.

 
The lead up to Christmas would not be the same without several visits to the cottage to stock up on beautiful decorations and gifts (which mainly end up in my stocking as I cannot bear to part with them!).

Typically, (as I did the same at the Vintage and Homemade Fair) I forgot my camera when I made a sneaky visit on my own on Monday, without any friends or children with me, just to wander round and soak it all in. The fire was roaring as you go through the door, and you are greeted with a glass of mulled wine and a mince pie, along with a beautiful basket (although not quite a big enough basket) to put your purchases in whilst you wander round.  I never know where to put my eyes first, on the decorations or the cottage itself.  The mince pies are warming in the aga as you warm yourself by the fire looking at the beautiful jewellery laid out as you go in.

and yes, that beautiful dog was sat in his basket by the fire!  Oh its too much for a girl, really.   So I might have bought a few little trinkets on my first visit, but I assure you ladies, I was only warming up.  I am due several visits back with friends and with children to experience the magic, and on one of those occasions I hope to remember my camera for some more pics.  Even the drive to the cottage is gorgeous, down country lanes and past heart achingly beautiful thatched cottages.  I have been looking forward to it for weeks, the magic of Christmas is in that house!

Prepare yourselves, there will be more .....

Grand Opening!

My little Christmas Shoppe is now open, come in out of the cold and into our warm and toasty shoppe, full of Christmas spirit and the evocative scent of cinamon and oranges, oh and a few bears and bunnies hoping for new homes for Christmas!

As we are fast approaching the Big Day, I have reduced my delivery time from date of order to 7-10 days, so you can have your bunnies or bears in good time to put in your stockings on Christmas Eve.

I will also be adding The Vintage Magpie 2010 Calendar to my shop within the next couple of days ... hear is a sneak preview of Miss January...

and some beautiful VM prints to hang on your wall designed by the very talented Sam Neville of Silkie Sue  ..

 

Frank

Enid

Prue

Edna

Rupert

Enid Birthday Card

Alfie Christmas card

Now that the shoppe is open we are all feeling very festive!

How about you? x

A Huge Thankyou

I spent most of yesterday laying on my bed resting after the Fair on Saturday.  I finally had some time to kick back and collect my thoughts ..

and I just wanted to say a huge thank you to everyone who made it such a very special day.  For all the organisation that Michele and Jayne put into the day and everyone who came to say hello to us, and everyone who gave a Magpie bear or bunny a new home.

I do hope they are all behaving!

In all the rush to get to the show, mixed with my nervousness of driving through the predicted storms, I forgot to take my camera, but I am sure you will find some wonderful memories of the day on blogs a plenty!

After a good dose of Christmas spirit on Saturday, I am in full Christmas swing and am off to the most wonderful Christmas House tomorrow, full of decorations and wonderfulness for sale... I will report back on Wednesday with lots of festive eye candy!

Have a wonderful week xx

The Carol Singers!

And finally, here we have the carol singers!   Ear muffs might be useful at this point as these guys are not XFactor material :o

I say finally, there will be one surprise guest on the day.... and of course lots of new range rabbits looking for cosy homes for Christmas!

Well, we can't wait for tomorrow... to see everyone who is visiting and catch up with wonderful bloggers!

Have a great weekend one and all!

xxx

Here come the girls....

Introducing Edna and Olive. 

These two are trouble.  Girlie giggling and whispering all day long, I think it might be the tinsel!!

xx

THe fOx aNd ThE hOuNd

These guys are getting a little bit feisty, over-excited and generally loud.

Ahh, that's a little better...well quieter anyhow.   Now all we have to do is find fox again before Friday....

!!

x

It's Showtime!

I can't believe that the Vintage and Handmade Fair is upon us so quickly, this coming Saturday to be precise.  So today has been spent in the studio, taking photographs of a few excited individuals who will be accompanying me to the Town Hall in Chipping Sodbury on Saturday.

First up, its Fred and Ginger!  After the all time greats, Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, ohhh the wonderment of those films!

Fred is a true gentlemen, and loves to woo the ladies, and Ginger.. well Ginger is slightly bashful but does love a gorgeous frock and a spin on the dancefloor!

I will be adding photos of the new additions every day this week, so stay tuned! x

Remembering

"They shall grow not old as we that are left grow old.  Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.  At the going down of the sun and in the morning, we will remember them".

(From "The Fallen", Laurence Binyon)

Recycled Scraps

Firstly, I must apologise for the terribly dull photographs, but the weather has been appaling and the light has been dismal.

Yesterday I could not look at these beautiful scraps of embroidery any longer, without making them useful again.  I picked up a scrap of embroidery (which had been previously cut up)  a while ago, for £1 - I had to have it because of the beautiful flowers that had been so exquisitely embroidered onto it.

 

It was one of those projects that languish in the back of your mind forever, but yesterday was the day.  I shouldn't have as I have so much else to be getting on with, but there you have it.   I managed to make two cushions out of the scrap, and I am really rather pleased with them.  I fully intended to take them to the Vintage and Handmade Fair next week, but now I don't think I can part with them ;0  That is my failing you see, I buy things to sell, or to give to other people as gifts, and then I can't part with them.  Not good.

 

And the crochet blanket, I hear you ask.... well that has to be given the title of 'My Charity Shop Find of the Year!'.  It has been knitted by a lady on Dartmoor, who knits several for the charity shops at Christmas.  Its a mohair mix, so its beautifully soft... and yes... I bought it to sell at the fair... and no... I don't think I can part with it :( 

We'll see.... I might, and then again you might have to fight me for it!!

Have a great weekend everyone xx