Sunday 1 December 2013

Hotch potch........

Thank you again for kind words re: gloves - much needed on these colder days.

Here are some old photographs of mine from Flickr - I was looking at them all recently and thought that I would transplant them to here.



I have an box of these glass cottages.  

I am rather partial to a nice old decoration.....


She looks a bit worried doesn't she?



Have you seen the price of these Father Christmas jugs on ebay!! Despite what you may read these are not rare in the slightest.  I saw one only three weeks ago in a charity shop for 4.99 - I did not buy it though....I felt that I had enough.  As a child we knew it was Christmas when the Father Christmas jug appeared (given by Bird's custard if you saved up tokens I think)



I am rather partial to a tin or two........I went through them the other day and found a few duplicates...gulp



The bunting above I made years ago and below is my festive bag




Below is my festive bowl...


 
This took an age to make a long time ago now and it was very fiddly.  I do not have a special cutter outer machine so I drew the letters by hand (trying to get them vaguely similar sizes) and then used bondaweb (unbranded cheaper version!) to adhere letters - I did sew round them but forgot to photograph that bit. Note that the shelf is not as full up here....this was taken a few years back...






From time to time I also use NEW fabric

Smelling salts......




The photograph below is our local museum - I love it







I think that I have missed a page of verse here


I will do a separate post on deers.....



...and robins


...and tea towels.....





These are tiny crackers that I have had for years - I added the little buttons because the motif was missing on a few of them




Poor old Dom.....

....actually he is several years younger than me...but he is still poor old Dom....

PS: Yesterday I had occasion to travel on a Number 26 red  London double decker bus heading north towards  Hackney Wick....a very nice bus route I think.  I trundled across the bridge, past my old haunt - The National Theatre -  through the old City, Old Bailey, St Pauls, Spitalfields, Bethnal Green, Columbia Road (not the same any more) and the Geffrye Museum.  Nearly as good as my favourite bus routes, namely the 68 and the 159 : both of course very good indeed if you just wish to take in views as you trundle through town.  LONDON was PACKED.   I think someone had told them that I was in town!   We went to 'Liberty' for old times sake.  I am getting very, very old....'Liberty' (I felt) was not how it used to be....'Liberty' used to be magnifico.....I would visit just to gaze upon it.....'Liberty' used to have 'special things'....yesterday 'Liberty' just had just expensive things.  I have seen the trailer for the telly programme where the  new'ish manager says (in a derisory way) that it is like 'Are you Being Served'. I think that Mr Burstell is gradually shaping 'Liberty' into yet another ordinary department store  - for me the essence of Liberty was that idiosyncratic individualism (I can identify with that!).  They were filming  yesterday for the programme and I was wistfully thinking that I wished they would ask me what I thought....I like a bit of old fashioned me....

PPS: 'Tis odd how many of my photographs appear on Pinterest but now attributed to that well known blogger...Google...Ahem!

54 comments:

  1. Such pretty pictures!! Thank you for sharing, enjoyed looking at them!! Happy December! xo Holly

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    1. Thank you dear Holly
      Happy December to you too
      Best wishes
      Jenny

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  2. Oh so Christmassy ... very excited to hear about the Father Christmas jug ... I was gifted one earlier this year from an elderly family friend but had no idea it was so old ... thanks for the enlightment ... Bee xx

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    1. Hello Bee - I hope that you are able to use your jug this season - I use mine for custard of course!
      Best wishes
      Jenny

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  3. Love all your tins and Christmas china.. And your bunting is so pretty.
    Rosezeeta.

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    1. Thank you Rosezeeta - I do like a nice tin....no surprise there!
      Best wishes
      Jenny

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  4. I'm old fashioned too! We used to have one of those Father Christmas jugs. Made me quite nostalgic. Wonder where it went!! Jacqui x

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    1. Hello Jacqui - I hope that it turns up! If not I am sure you will find one 'locally' if you know what I mean!
      Best wishes
      Jenny

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  5. Hello my lovely friend, ooohhhh your post has got me in the Christmas mood (I've had a nasty sickly bug for a few days) I'd love to be a cracker on your christmas table this year, sounds better than a "fly on the wall"and I could be surrounded by your deliciously old, gorgeous things! xx

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    1. Oh I do hope that you are feeling better now - there are some nasty viruses going round at the moment.
      I once invited friend round for dinner and they had to get dressed up - I was a Christmas parcel and someone else was indeed a cracker! I have some photos of that somewhere!
      I do like to get the old bits out at Christmas!
      Best wishes
      Jenny

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  6. Yay...the Christmas Cupboard is open and I love that verse...be careful up that ladder in those heels.xx

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    1. Titter, titter - it is tricky I must admit, that ladder is a bit wobbly
      Christmas Cupboard is well and truly open....in a shocking state!
      Best wishes
      Jenny

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  7. I am so pleased to see all your Christmas stuff is out and ready. Time to get my 12 Days of Christmas teatowel out too. It's my favourite time of year and I remember going to Harrods' Christmas department and struggling to keep my mouth closed. I don't suppose it's as special now and has probably gone the way of Liberty. Philippa xx

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    1. Hello Philippa - I have to remember that at the end of the day they are in business and need to make money!
      I am busy refining my stuff this season!
      Thank you for calling in
      Best wishes
      Jenny

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  8. I am right with you, Liberty wise. It just ain't the same anymore. It was always my most favourite shop because it was so erm, 'bohemian'. Sadly something has gone adrift. Such a shame. Lovely to see your Christmas pictures, and your local museum exhibit is just like our front room at number 15 all those years ago. I am so very old!

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    1. I am sure that number 15 was just lovely - the sort of place that brings back lovely memories.
      Old is good!
      Best wishes
      Jenny

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  9. I enjoyed this post very much! I recently bought a Birds custard jug in a charity shop for 50p and looked it up to see how old it was. They were selling on ebay for £25 - £30. Mine has had a life, but I should think so for 60 odd years old. I particularly like the vibrant colours, especially Santa's blue eyes. My santa jug is now home to a hyacinth bulb. I am looking forward to watching the Liberty programme.

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    1. Hello and thank you for calling in - jugs are handy things for all sorts aren't they. Battered round the edges is fine isn't it - most of the things that I have are like that!
      Best wishes
      Jenny

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  10. you have the best stuff..... seriously. :))))

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  11. You? Partial to a tin or two? I'd never have guessed. xx

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    1. I know - I surprise myself sometimes !

      Ho ho
      Best wishes
      Jenny

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  12. Hi Jenny,what a delightful post full of covetable things!! are you quite sure that you don't live in a Tardis!I like to think of you as a time traveller and you go to all the times past shops and buy things then come back and tell us that you found them at local charity shops and carboots!!I do srongly agree that we should have old fashioned shops and NOT keep on modernising places,don't these top bosses know that we all love Downton,The Paradise,Mr Selfridge, Larkrise to Candleford,Cranford etc etc,we NEED shops with magic in them!!!! (rant over,phew feel better for that!!)Cheerio for now Pam.

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    1. My children still go on about the sudden demise of Larkrise to Candleford - they LOVED that programme. I like a bit of old fashioned - a bit comforting I think.
      Please rant whenever you feel the need Pam
      Best wishes
      Jenny

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    2. Ps went to Liberty last year,now that was magical!

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  13. You have some really lovely things, your tin collection is impressive x

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    1. Someone not so very far from me might say there are a few too many.....especially at Christmas
      Thank you for calling in
      Best wishes
      Jenny

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  14. P.S I made some tartan Christmas hearts for LA BOHEME and some one bought them!!!! I was sooo happy can't believe someone actually paid money for something I made!!!!! Pam.(And I spelt strongly wrongly! in the previous comment!)

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    1. Good for you Pam - you really are going from strength to strength
      I did check your spelling and made a note of the mistake - dear oh dear!
      Best wishes
      Jenny

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  15. Smelling salts! You made me chuckle. I know exactly what you mean about Liberty, I will enjoy the program but it is too touristy and probably focused on oligarch type customers.

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    1. I LOVE that you identify some customers as oligarchs - that really made me laugh. I am going to don a large overcoat with padded shoulders and pop on a Fedora and make my way back to Liberty!
      Best wishes
      Jenny

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  16. Your post of vintage Christmas treaures have brightened up my Monday evening. I used to love Libertys , I haven't been there for years my Mum always used to take me. Their window displays were always incredible too.
    Sarah x

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    1. Rest assured the window display is still wonderful and the building is fantastic
      I like a bit of decoration...a bit too much to be honest!
      thank you for calling in
      Best wishes
      Jenny

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  17. Lovely little cottage decorations, they are very cheerful. Am just about to watch the programme on
    Liberty, interested to see what they do with it.

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    1. Thank you
      Liberty should stock your beautiful knitting my dear
      Best wishes
      Jenny

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  18. a wonderful christmas journey. I love the houses! and I have one of those tins, only one mind! would have liked a little trip to London, Heather x

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    1. Hello Heather
      One tin is really enough - some people just don't know when to stop!
      Best wishes for the season
      Jenny

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  19. Goodness there is always so much loveliness here I love my visits to you. I love your mugs on your shelf gorgeous patterns and all those wonderful tins I don't think it matters if you have maybe 2 of the same they are just so sweet. I have never been to Liberty's so cant comment on that part its a shame when things change and lose their sparkle. dee x

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    1. thank you for calling in Delia - and thank you for your kind words. I have a 'mug/cup' post lined up for the New Year so you may see some more of them!
      Best wishes
      Jenny

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  20. Really like the new blog heading! and amazing selection of pictures in this post as usual, I'm afraid you can't win with pintrest, you're fighting a losing battle there. Having watched the Liberty programme last night your comment about everything being more expensive in Liberty was answered, as we watched the American manager telling the meeting to either put prices up or buy in more expensive items. I'm going for a look round it this week and like most of us haven't been in there for ages!

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    1. Hello Woolly Dog - the programme has made the shop more hard nosed than I thought it would be- but that is business for you I suppose! I will be interested to know what you think
      Thank you for kind words
      Best wishes
      Jenny

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  21. Hi there, your house ornaments are so pretty! Love your Christmas banner and background.

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    1. Thank you kindly
      All the best to you and yours this festive season
      Best wishes
      Jenny

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  22. You have the bestest stuff seriously (but where do you squirrel it all away when not in use???) I am very partial to your tins - very awesome :)

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    1. Thank you for your partiality - I do like a nice tin there is no doubting that! I have a big cupboard and some suitcases and some tins and some drawers and some......that is where is all goes....oh dear
      Thank you for calling in
      Best wishes
      Jenny

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  23. Love your vintage Christmas things Jenny and I too hope, they don't spoil Liberty - there is something magical about that shop :)
    x

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    1. Indeed Barbara - very magical and special
      Best wishes to you and yours this season
      Jenny

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  24. Jenny, I love your new christmassy header. I think you have some fab stuff and it must be wonderful to get them out each year and reminisce. I would hate to be one of those folk who have to have new every year. I like a mix of old and newer stuff (usually brought back from our hols) but everything holds special memories for us.

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    1. Thank you kindly Anne - we too mix old and new - though the new tends just to be little things that the children have made over the years - but it is the memories isn't it. That is what this old stuff is about for me.
      Best wishes Anne
      Jenny

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  25. Wow, Mr Burstell has really ugly hair. Ha!

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  26. Love everything you've posted - so nice to see visions of your Christmas past. Always heartening to see your tins have not lost their luster. I was in Liberty's 20 years ago, and didn't buy anything because the fabrics were too pricey for my Scottish blood. But did enjoy the architecture. Hoping they won't mess with that, at least! Joyful holidays to you! Hugs with aloha, Ann

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    1. Thank you so much Ann
      The fabric is soooo pricey - pretty but pricey!
      Do you spend a warm Christmas on the beach - how lovely and toasty
      Best wishes
      Jenny

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  27. Dear Jenny, a visit to you always warms the cockles of my heart....I could browse those oldy worldy blue bird type of tins on your header all day! They remind me of my Nana, who used to give us each a pretty tin in our stockings every Christmas...
    I kinda agree about Liberty too, not that special when we visited last month..
    I didn't even post a picture from the trip as the store was a little ' ordinary'! Ouch I hate me self for saying this!!!
    Love and blessings to lovely You!
    Maria x

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    1. How kind your are Maria
      I like to warm cockles so that is good to hear!
      With Liberty it was just that lots of the stuff could be bought anywhere and for less money - much less!
      worse things happen at sea
      Best wishes
      Jenny

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