Vintage Jewelry........

Another fun thing to collect when the price is right is vintage jewelry. The things I have found have come in handy from time to time. My Granddaughters have worn some of the necklaces on different occasions, usually proms. The pins I used to wear on jackets when I was working. I need to clean it all and take better pictures but for now I will show some of what I have.



It will be nice when its all cleaned up. I have not yet gone through to see if I have anything that has names on. I know that sometimes these old things can have some value.
I love these two pins.



These are mainly necklaces..........again I need to take better pictures but you can sort of see that there are some quite nice ones among them.




This red rose necklace I remember my dad buying it for my mum. She wore it to a dinner dance. Mum was never happy with what he bought her but he at least made an effort. Looking back she had little to complain about. Dad would often bring her gifts and sometimes flowers. I have never been that fortunate. The only things I get I buy myself. Mum bought enough things herself too but at least my dad thought enough to try to please. He bought me a necklace too on the same day. I don't now know if there was an occasion but I do know he thought of me and bought me a grown up necklace. I recently gave it to my granddaughter. I still have mums red rose necklace.
The one under it was my grandmothers. I keep things I guess...............

Check out these cute books..............

One is knit and one crochet and they have loads of fun and easy things to do for Christmas. You can use them as package decorations and they can be tree decorations. So many really cute things to do. If you get a chance to check them on line it may be worth it for anyone who likes this sort of thing.

Embroidery......

None of this work is my own. These are all things I have collected over the years. The hand work is beautiful and are finished with either lace, crochet or tatting.



This I believe is called stump work? The stitch is done over a thread to pad it out. The edging is crochet



This table cloth is full of details. The ladies face has lips so small and dainty and her eyes too. Her dress and bouquet are French knots and stump work. Detail is shown on a part of her dress


Look at the detail here.

Ironing..............

I stood about an hour ironing doilies and things. As I stood there I was admiring the work of some of the table cloths, the time it must have taken to do them. I use all my things and wash them and put them away and use others so they dont get too worn. The kids around here are not at all careful and I often wonder as time goes on will anyone appreciate these hand made things? I know that the teens and twenties just put coffee or soda or whatever on them and they get stains and the lace gets torn and so on, well I expect my house to be comfortable and lived in but.........well I just wonder sometimes. If they had spent the amount of time it takes to embroider just one piece I think they would frame it on a wall and never use it. Not that I can see it ever happening. I grew up in a different world where people loved to do the needle crafts and hand crafts. Now everyone is plugged into their phones or some other electrical device. I sound old don't I. Every generation says the same thing about the young folks. "In my day......." and so on, fill in the blanks.
Will the pendulum swing back again as it did with quilting? Will there be a resurgence again when these kids are older? I know when I was young I hated quilts, thought they were ugly. Well now I appreciate them, especially the very old hand made ones. Even now I could not sit and hand quilt such a big thing as a bed quilt. I do small things. I am the in between age where I want instant gratification but also want the hand made things, so I choose to make small things. Baby clothes to knit and doilies to crochet. Lap quilts better than bed quilts and so on, but at least I do still keep the old crafts alive. I collect all I see at sales and add those to my collection.



(I made these collars several years ago now. I will sell them on Etsy when I set up a shop)



I still iron and starch my linens although since Tristen arrived I gave up on sheets because no one here cares enough, so why bother. I do that now just for guests. Besides the girls have about ruined all my good sheets one way or other. Does no one undress for bed anymore? They jump in fully clothed, how uncomfortable is that? The rivets on jeans take their toll and belt buckles. I keep my good things out of their way if I can. I have seen quilts, white ones at that laying on the floor under dirty laundry and being walked on. Why do I allow it? Because I dont go into their private space unless I have reason, and then I will remove things from the room. I just wish they had more pride in their surroundings. Sigh!!!!!

Tea Time........

Many years ago now my aunt sent me a little book called "A Proper Tea". She sent it to me she said to remind me from whence I came. I enjoyed the book and since then I have collected a few books that have wonderful pictures and tea times vignettes.
Here are a few of the books that I have collected. I enjoy the whole idea of tea time. I started collecting the books that remind me of home. Of how things used to be for me long ago.




I love tea time in England the scones and clotted cream with lovely home made strawberry jam.








I love to collect pretty tea cups and tea pots but I have to photograph them yet. I collect them from various places like garage sales, antique shops, thrift shops. Anywhere that I can find them at a reasonable price.
When I have been home to England, and I have only been able to go back 3 times since I came to the States, I have looked forwards to those cream teas. There is nothing like the bread that one gets there, hot from the bakers oven. Fresh cream butter. The best of all is the cream teas. That means scones or fairy cakes with clotted cream, or Devon cream. My cousin did eclairs full of lovely cream or meringues. Always fresh cream.
I much prefer coffee to tea now but if I do drink it there I like it with just a tiny bit of milk if its a good tea. Here I prefer green tea or black tea with nothing in it. Herb tea with honey.



Don't you just want one? You know you do.



Victoria Sponge the ultimate afternoon tea time cake. Filled with fresh cream naturally.



This is another book worth adding to a collection if you enjoy looking at tea time vignettes and want to know where to have your tea.



This is my first tea time book, it was sent to me by my aunt who is still in England.



You can thank pretty ladies like this for that special cream that makes it all so beautiful.

Some of my own things.

Years ago many collectible things were really give away's. They were considered tacky at best. Now a lot of these things are quite valuable or at least desirable. This little lady still has her earrings and necklace and is quite pretty. She reminds me of Elizabeth Taylor. What do you think?




I never dreamed I would ever want anything like this little pink poodle. It seems they used to give stuff like this away at the fair. Now I think its quite sweet.



This one is a little pathetic but I still like it. I have another somewhere with two puppies attached. I must find that one for you.




Here she is, I found her, the poodle mum and two puppies.

Pretty Things....

These little critters were carved from Sumac by Rod Conklin. He lives locally. I would go at least once every year to his studio and come away with a prize. They are very simple but he uses the grain of the wood to perfection. The last time I went he had retired. He let me see what was left of his collection but was not selling. I have two wrens that you see here.



A tiny frog on a leaf.......




This is another Rod Conklin piece, a mouse sitting with a Brumm plate.