UPDATE: New Giveaway - teacup candle closes 5th July

 

Now the sun is shining and all is well with the world, a sucessful Lion tour, Murray at Wimbledon and a WINNER of the candle

 

 

ROBBY C the candle is on the way.......................... :) thanks all for entering will be posting another giveaway very soon.

 

 

We all need something to take our minds off the weather here in the UK so decided to run a quick giveaway!!

 

I will be running a bigger one for everyone worldwide in a week or so as not to leave anyone out :)

 

You can win this lovely vintage crown staffordshire trio teacup candle, made with soya wax and scented with essential oils.

 

 

All you need to do:

One entry comment on the post telling me what your favourite candle scent is.

Two entries share the giveaway on your FB page.

SIMPLES

 

Sorry UK only. Winner picked at random 5th of July

 

good luck

 

xxx

 

alice

Buttons, candles and frogs....

Have been looking at making my own stamp to brand up some of my packaging and after several failed attempts at producing anything decent with some speedy carve and some lino tools I have decided to have them professionally made over the interweb. Found a few images that I would like to have made into stamps including these vintage buttons. Now the only problem is deciding which to go for....

Had a lovely day out at the Boogaloo in North London at the weekend with my collection of vintage teacup candles, no-one bought these orphans so I had to bring them home, hopefully next time someone will take them home.

 

 

Was thinking about taking a holiday later in the year, Split in Croatia was an option now set in stone after seeing this little gem from a museum called FROGGY LAND which was a folly of one man in the last century and his collection of stuffed frogs doing all sorts of random stuff.... I AM THERE

 

xx alice

Tea Cup Candles - Tutorial to follow

setting the wicks

Ahead of a tutorial on making tea-cup candles I have taken some pics of the process and the results

I travel all over the country to find the vintage tableware to use for the candles and try to always use English vintage tableware have a few pieces at the moment that are Alfred Meakin and JT Jones for Crown Staffordshire

setting the wicks

 I use 100% soya wax, which burns clean and is easily removed from the tableware after burning. This means you can use your piece as it was intended after you have enjoyed the candle!

Trifle Bowls

The glassware looks amazing when lit, it really shows off all the cut glass

Alfred Meakin Trio

Alfred Meakin Ltd was set up in 1875 and operated from the Royal Albert, Victoria and Highgate Potteries in Tunstall. Alfred Meakin was the brother of James and George Meakin who ran a large pottery company in Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent.

FromStitchYourSoul

The Art Director at Crown Staffordshire for over thirty years was J T (Jack) Jones. Born in 1898 Jack Jones joined Crown Staffordshire at the age of thirteen and worked for the company for forty-seven years. At the time of his death he was described as one of the leading designers of bone china table ware

So start collecting vintage or modern tableware or glassware, it is really easy to make a wonderful gift and I will be posting a tutorial very soon ....

xx

Alice

Vintage Embroidered Wall Hoops

rescuing antique / vintage table linens from junk shops, house sales and the bottom of drawers is a passtime of mine, I have recently started to pop them into hoops to hang on the walls so they can be displayed again

the corner of a table runner

the centre of a french  linen

a large table runner with birds

three of the 4 corners that could be rescued



Jubilee Giveaway

To celebrate the queens Diamond Jubilee I am giving away 3 strips of 'tea party' bunting

All you need to do is go to my facebook page like me there and leave a comment on my giveaway post

Your comment should be your perfect menu for an afternoon tea!! I will pick 3 winners on the 30th May

Some classic afternoon tea delights:

 



Quilters Exhibition in London

Last night was spent ignoring my uncompleted wall hanging which I am entering into our quilt clubs exhibition, instead I cut out 50odd felt hearts to embellish some valentines gifts for a market next weekend... I cannot ignore it for long, you know when you have reached a creative block with a piece and you have trouble deciding how to finish it? Maybe a trip out to a gallery this week will inspire me??

Our exhibition is on for the whole of March at Swiss Cottage Library, we are exhibiting quilts made by members of London Quilters it is open every day and free to visit, so if you are in London in March please come along, it will be stewarded by our members so there will always be someone there from our group to talk about the quilts.

We are having a private viewing on Thursday 1st of March 6pm, with some wine and a special guest contact me if you would like an invite!

There will be raffle tickets on sale, the prize being this group quilt made last year

must finish wall hanging, must finish wall hanging....

Friday the 13th

Started off this morning with a 24 min journey taking 1hr 15mins on the Jubilee line this morning, goodness knows what it will be like with the Olympics later in the year, London will be MANIC

Having said that, I have had a fairly decent day in the office and a lovely long lunch with a girlfriend catching up on all the gossip from Christmas/New Year.

PLANS FOR THE NEW YEAR

make lots and lots and lots of bunting, have both the Queen's Diamond Jubilee and the Olympics so will be making country flags, crowns and all things British, cannot wait for a long afternoon in my studio creating

Updates after the weekend, lets see if I can make some Jelly & Ice cream bunting....