New Life!

This is a very old pic of a birthday party for my dog, Rose (centre) The cake was a Christmas cake, covered in marzipan, with marzipan roses, for the 'guests'.  There is a pastry figure behind the cake which, as I recall had Bovril in it, for the dogs. The relevance of this pic is in the word BIRTHDAY!

( I've just had a shock! when I went into blogger to post this noticed I have followers! I was just going to tell a few close friends I have posted this, and not bother with a pic, but I have put in an old pic in recognition of people looking at this! thank you, both!)

The blog has lapsed after a number of poorly attended fairs which caused me to cut back activities. Despite that, the Vintage Bazaar at Edzell continues to draw in a public that wants to buy and stall holders whose goods are attractive to buyers!

After a recent Series of (hardly) Remarkable Events, I realised the easiest way to recount the apparently never ending saga was to write it down in one place, where anyone who is interested can follow the instalments - or bypass the lot if they prefer!

Near the end of May I looked forward to a new, small, local fair, after I had endured a horrible week of sewage trouble, only made worse by a neighbour who doesn't feel he needs to share shared responsibilities. Annoyingly, his household has proved to be the source of our shared problems on a number of occasions, so I was keen to obliterate all thoughts of the irresponsible and disgusting man with the plans for an indoor / outdoor market. I believe in the 'layers of the onion' principle to blank out annoying thoughts with better ones - maybe the formation of a pearl is a better image, but onions have lots of layers and some irritants need a lot of covering!

The market turned out to be a lovely day out for me although it was very poorly attended and I sold nothing. The weather was good, the people were friendly and there were hopes for better advertising and organisation for future, regular events. I took JRT Tilly to the park for a 'picnic' on the way home and stopped off to post a birthday card to an - obviously - young, former schoolfriend.

After a day on my feet I often have an excruciating pain in two toes, and such was the case that day, so I limped along to the former post office to post my card. I knew that Royal Mail Sunday collections stopped some time ago, but hoped to be in line for first pick up on Monday. I discovered that despite being outside the RM sorting office, the post boxes were sealed and had belatedly followed the post office counters to a new venue, some distance down the street. I limped along to the new PO, only to find it it had no outdoor letterbox, and the indoor one was unavailable while the shop was shut, so I limped down another street where the letter box declared "next collection 5pm Monday". I posted my card, drove home and surveyed my purchases from the sale.

I had bought an unused, new style, 'flat' camping stove, which is more stable than the older, 'upright' style and came with five cartridges of gas - a bargain for £5! A 'caravan' TV ariel fitted with a booster proved to be another bargain - at £1, as it has magically overcome the interference my house TV experiences when leaves on trees break up the digital signal in summer months. I'll be honest, I also bought a 'Model's changing tent'. I had no idea the manufacturers knew they were for 'models changing' and I am quite sure Kate Moss has never changed in one. I think it was £1 or maybe £2, and can be used as a changing room or maybe for another purpose.

Sufficient unto the day, I think, so I will stop here on a happy note of practical purchases and high hopes of a new, local event with great potential. In case it crops up again, I should probably mention that earlier in the week, I bought a 'sun room' on gumtree. I have not yet seen it, paid for it or collected it. It is somewhere between a greenhouse and a conservatory and is intended to house solar panels and batteries and garden plants.

Short and Sweet

 I haven't been keeping this blog up to date but feel inspired to make a quick update after two lovely events.
My camera is hors de combat so I am using old pix, but the spirit is the same!

 A lovely evening at Triple Kirks in Aberdeen last night - it was quiet but the people who were there were great. Thanks to Claire and David Milne and another Dave who helped me to carry in my stuff - and I think maybe some others I didn't see distinctly!

I sold a bulky sheepskin coat which is a positive move in my decluttering. The very glamorous girl who bought it was delighted and looked great in it. Job Done!

Interesting people enjoyed interesting books too, so all to the good. Today I am enjoying Aberfeldy oatcakes bought from a Bucksburn fishmonger's stall!

The weekend saw me at Edzell's Vintage Bazaar  where I had a good day, as good as I've had all year, mostly selling crockery and fabric. The previous week end had another nice day at Little Birds Market at St Andrews, despite nasty wet and sleety weather. Driving through snow in the morning was dispiriting but the day improved once I stepped inside.

Keep in touch peoples!

I know where I'm going

 

Pause for thought

A lovely day at a lovely venue, with lovely people,but the stress of packing and hauling stuff about and disposing of very little bulk at recent fairs is beginning to tell on me.

I thought I was all all packed and ready the night before the latest event, until a late message announced that there was no lighting.

After a search I  found and packed 2 standard lamps, a bar of spotlights with an additional stand and an extension lead but they were not needed in the end.

The past few events have barely reduced my stockpile - which is the object of the exercise - so I have to rethink my strategy.

Some people say, "Put it  into the charity shop"  but I know some charity shops won't sell some of the things I have. One shop sells synthetic fleece throws on the rails and puts good, pure wool blankets and travelling rugs in the 'dog blanket' box.

People admire the things I have on my table - some get quite excited, some even send me messages thanking me, so that makes me feel I am right to sell things to people who appreciate them.

 I know that some people sold more so maybe I need to take a different approach.

I am nervous of ebay - of packing and posting items to strangers,  I posted two items on a Facebook selling page and one has been claimed, so far, but these lovely heavy, iron, garden bench ends - with wooden arm rests are still here. 

I have taken photos of a music cabinet, with drop front drawers. I would have included it here, but I haven't taken the pix from the camera and reduced them yet - and  time on line  is treasured, so I will process them later. (If anyone is interested, the drawer fronts seem to be teak, but the queen Anne legs seem to be a different hardwood. I don't think it is particularly old. It is not polished.

I may need to put more effort into display.

A friend commented that, presented in open 'trays'  it was not clear what some of my fabrics, embroidered bed and table linens were. Packing and unpacking is a big job and I try not to complicate it, but if people cannot see what is on the table, I have to do something about that - maybe even labelling the trays will help,

I am taking a short break from fairs till I work out what I need to do and how I can achieve it, but now it's time for bed. 

ZZZZzzzzz

Little Birds come out in the sunshine

My first Little Birds market of the year. The mist was rising as I drove through Fife and the sun was shining by the time I reached St Andrews. I was early and the cleaner was mopping the floor so I took a bundle of flyers and walked down the street handing them out. At St Andrews, there are always people going about as I unload the car so I use that opportunity to promote the event, too.

It was nice to see regular stallholders who don’t venture North of the Tay, as well as Vicki and her very supportive mum.

 

The public came in in drifts, in response to Vicki and Laura-Jane’s placarding of the town, but they were not really in buying mode. The public who come into the very funky Vic bistro are usually a lively, mixed demographic interested in art, crafts, fabrics, vintage clothes and crockery. This week only one woman seemed genuinely interested in the clothes rail. 

I know that some buyers handed over decent sums of money for ‘single items’ which appealed to them. I sold crockery requested in advance, but made no casual sales. 

One artist who paints in a number of media said she had sold jewellery, which is unusual for her at that venue. The market attracts some very talented artists and crafters, some lovely people and a little vintage.

 I loved this fish in  the river, but this week I am determined to be more proactive - or just ACTIVE -  in my decluttering.

I listed a cake stand which received an instant response from a pal who is due to collect it at the weekend. I was so heartened by that, that I looked around for something else I do not need and I have now added to the listing (on Neil's virtual car boot page  ) two iron garden bench ‘ends’ which have waited patiently in my garden for wooden slats to transform them into a garden bench.

Can I list one thing every day this week? A challenge!

North of Aberdeen - somewhat belatedly!

A recent May weekend saw Rural Reads & thReads at a new venue – new to me, and possibly to vintage fairs – but a very traditional village hall in a small town, North of Aberdeen. I grew up in Aberdeen and  on Deeside, but very rarely ventured North - only really for Sunday school picnics, so first, Echt (scene of picnic in public park and hall when it rained) and now Pitmedden, are adventures for me, and all in the space of three months. 

The stalls were mixed craft and vintage and most of the vintage stalls were familiar to me and some of the crafts were too, some from Ministry of Crafts – including Code Naturel, a talented lady who can melt glass and knit socks, and the Front Cupboard, another talented lady with the artist’s outlook that goes beyond that of the masses – her handmade figures, toadstools and even flower bulbs tell of a unique imagination.

Amongst the usual vintage stalls, I met Evelyn Treasure Finder for the first time since her Christmas trip to Oz,

Arlene Allsorts

and Carrie Encore, both of whom I last saw at Edzell. 

The ubiquitous and far travelled vintage crafter, Laurie of Storm in a Vintage Teacup was there with her highly decorative teacup pincushions and some new treats added since the last time I saw her at Banchory.

Timbertop pen man, Andrew had travelled from Brechin and local-ish Rhinturk (Preserves?) purveyor of breads, cakes, jams and relishes whose enormous banana bread I shared and enjoyed after Echt did a roaring trade

Other stallholders had mixed fortunes, some ‘ticked away nicely’ others had a quieter time of it although there was a steady stream of visitors. Some seemed to be locals, while others had definitely travelled to attend. One woman said she had come from Peterhead, attracted by advertising.

I met a lovely new stallholder, from that same direction – lovely stall, lovely stallholder! Maureen of East Coast Living makes pictures from shells, sea glass and pottery and ‘sparkles’ and constructs the most  vivid bags that go well beyond patchwork or applique into collage or painting with fabric.

It was an enjoyable day, if not as busy as I would have liked, but after a horrendous pain came on in one foot as I started packing up, and lasted till 10 pm, I was ‘hors de combat’ next day and unfit for further foraying into decluttering, that day.

Edzell Blues

It seems I am still a bit slow to return to blogging, but - in my own defence - I am having a number of comms problems and trying to get to grips with a new laptop and Windows8.

My most recent fairs were almost two weeks ago - Then & Now in Dundee, and Fancy That? Vintage Bazaar at Edzell. Sadly, I didn't take any photos, so I am using some from previous fairs and one taken just a few days before this month's VB.

 

Dundee was quietish but I sold fabric and clothes which helped in my crusade to reduce my bulk! Encouraging words from a fellow stallholder gave me an impetus to try harder to promote Rural Reads, although I usually find it easier to publicise others. 

The following day was one of torrential rain throughout the country, but despite that, Fancy That's faithful followers donned their wellies and waterproofs and turned out in good spirits.
 

Stallholders and visitors came from near and far and the day was fun, as usual. Highlight of my day - and that of at least one other stallholder - was a pair of ladies from the North East. The joy the ladies took from their purchases is the driving force that makes traders load cars at unseemly hours with collections which make friends and families despair. Their bubbly personalities raiseed everyone's spirit on a dull day. A lovely message of appreciation that followed brightened the rest of my week and is now inspiring me to attend to this blog more conscientiously than I have been doing lately.
 

This month's Vintage Bazaar coincided with the annual Multiple Sclerosis Awareness campaign. The theme of the campaign is Be Bold in Blue and a number of traders dressed in blue. I made blue corsage brooches, and filled my table with blue crockery. Carol, Paul and family organised a successful tombola stall (and I have forgotten the figure raised!) In an effort to raise some publicity before the event I persuaded Nicely Eclectic's Pat to Be Bold in Blue and she kindly posed for the camera at her Meadowmill studio, in Dundee. Thank you, Pat.
 

This week, follow up sales from the VB and from the Redwood fair at Echt in March have added to the general atmosphere of good intentions to work harder at reducing my vast hoard of books, fabric, clothes and crockery.

 

If anyone is looking for books on gardening, cookery, art, crafts, Scottish language and culture or slightly older books on wildlife, agriculture, gardening, buildings; cloth - be it woolly, tweedy textiles, flowery, chintzy furnishing fabrics, fine silks and 'art.' silks or vintage tray and tablecloths, doilies, assorted nappery or aprons, just ask - please!

 

Now to prepare for Pitmedden, Blairgowrie and St Andrews. . .  more details in Days Ahead in sidebar.