Tea Cup Craft Challenge

It's been a while since I got my craft on.  I started this blog primarliy to chart my foray into the crafty world and I'm pretty sure I haven't done anything crafty that's blog worthy this year.  Oops!

So to get my craft on I've decided to do a bit of tea cup crafting.  Tea Cup crafting is everywhere on t'internet and everything always looks gorgeous.  I do love a tea cup.  So I'm going to give it a go.

I've got lots of mismatched tea cups dotted around the house, but I've chosen a tea cup set that I bought on my thrifty travels to craft with.  I'm always wary of spoiling a good tea cup with my cack handedness so this set it perfect as it is gorgeous and it's not a known maker.  So I think I can just about live with any mishaps.

I'm not setting myself a time limit on this as I do have a tendency to phaff when it comes to crafting.  So to keep you happy in the meantime here's some pics of the tea cup set I'm going to sacrafice  use.

Four tea cups from the same set but each one is a little bit different.  There's matching saucers and tea plates with them too.

Jeez, the nerves are already starting to set in.  Can I really bring myself to "do" something to these beauties?  I'm off to google and pinterest for some inspiration.  Yikes!


This post is shared on Tea Cup Tuesday.

Car Boot Loot #18

Finally some sun!  It's been so long that I've forgotten what sunshine looks like.

I think the whole of the UK has me to thank for the sun!  Yesterday we all trooped out to buy the Wee Man some wet weather gear.  Not only a windproof, waterproof jacket but also an all in one rain suit thing.  The type that you zip yourself into with just your face and hands showing.  

So because of this timely purchase of wet gear, the sun has decided to spite me and shine it's smug glorious face all over us.  Shouldn't really complain should I.

What the rain did stop us from doing this weekend was go car booting.  They were all closed because the fields were pretty much lakes.  So I don't have much to show this week.  Just some goodies from charity shops.

First up, a beautiful set of Paragon tea plates.  They are the right shade of green and the pink roses are gorgeous.  I do love pink roses.

And another train game for the Wee Man.  He has so many board games they are taking over my house but for £1.50 and it's a train game, I had to buy it.  It'll be a lovely surprise for him when he comes in from school today. 

That was my lot for this week.  Not much to show really.  The rain really has a lot of answer for.

If you liked my Car Boot Loot post have a look see at my other Loot posts.  Just click here.  

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Car Boot Loot #17

Hasn't the weather improved?!  It's so lovely and sunny here I can finally believe that Spring is here.

Yesterday we hottailed it to our favourite car boot sale in a neighbouring town.  It's about a 25 minute drive away but well worth it.  Unfortunately there were not that many sellers there yesterday.  Only a quarter of the usual amount so the pickings were rather slim.

So slim in fact I only got two things for myself.  The Wee Man on the other hand got a huge bag full of books and a game.

First up for me was this cute little ceramic hen.  The seller informed me that is was a gravy seperator.  I thought it was a wee bit too small for gravy but smiled nicely and accepted her 50p offer.  I think in fact it's an egg seperator.   See the little lip on the hen's chest?

Unfortunatley I have no use for an egg seperator as I do not cook with eggs that often because of the Wee Man's allergies so the hen will be for display purposes only.  Love her eyelashes. 

Next up a chequered cake set for all of £1.  It's always a challenge to make exciting and different treats for the Wee Man and I thought this cake set would make a little surprise treat for him.  The seller said it belonged to her Mum so maybe it's vintage, though vintage "Made in Taiwan" is a bit of a stretch.

Reading the instructions I think there is a lot of room for disaster, but I'm willing to give it a go.  Maybe the cake will be more splodge than chequered?  Either way, I'll post some pics of the results once I get round to using it.  The Big Man observed that the cake set will most likely end up in the box of stuff for us to sell at a car boot sale!  Humph!

That was it for me.  I also got a huge pile of books for the Wee Man, a lot of them old Ladybird non-fiction books, for £1.

Also a Mousetrap game which unfortunately had no instructions in the box.  I bought it from a man who had just got a call to say his daughter was in labour with his first grandchild.  I didn't have the heart to keep him back whilst I checked the contents.  He was desperately packing up and I think the buyers felt his desperation because a crowd converged on his stall picking up anything and everything and demanding a price for it.   For the record I was already eyeing up the game when he got the call, so I was not one of the vultures, though to be honest I did have a quick squizz around his stall to make sure there wasn't anything else I wanted.  Am I naughty?

And last but not least a fantastic Egypitan craft set.  My 10 year old niece is obsessed about all things Egyptian.  She can name all the rulers of ancient Egypt, who their parents were, how they got to be ruler and anything else you would care to know about them.  I always keep an eye out for anything Ancient Egypt related for her.  

The box is full to the brim of crafty things.  She's also very arty and crafty.  I can't wait to give it to her.  She will be so excited. 

That's my lot for this week.  We were suppose to go to another car boot sale today but the Wee Man and the Big Man are off riding miniature steam trains instead. 

If you've enjoyed reading my Car Boot Loot post why not have a look at my other Car Boot Loot posts. Just click on the link,  Madison's Car Boot Loot

This post is shared on Nifty Thrifty Tuesday  Magpie Monday

Car Boot Loot #15

Well after a rubbish start with the new charity shop, it's finally come good.  Remember I missed out on the lovely F&M picnic hamper?  I've been visiting the charity shop nearly every day after I drop the Wee Man off at school and over the weeks I have come home with some rather fabulous finds.

These are my most recent.

A set of gorgeous mini playing cards.  I bought them to put my handmade flower hair clips on.  I thought the pink birdies on the backs would look lovely.  It wasn't until I got home and had a proper look at them, I realised what a bargain I got.  All the face cards are different and oh so gorgeous.  Instead of Queens there are "Ds" and the Jacks are "Bs".  I'm thinking Duchesses and Barons?  Anyone know? I showed them to the Big Man and he suggested they should be framed since they are so lovely.

I also got a set of vintage "Lexicon" playing cards.  I know they sell on Ebay for a fair bit so I'm toying with the idea of selling them on, however my wannabe crafty mind is going into overdrive thinking of things I could do with them.  A Google search is in the offing.

Of course some more vintage china.  A set of Royal Albert Gossamer tea cups, saucers and tea plates.  I love the colours and the fine marbling detail.  A bit different from my usual vintage flowery desgins but the colours are divine.

 

 That's my lot for this week.  What Loot did you get?  

This post is shared on Flea Market , Nifty Thrifty Tuesday

I Love Tea Cups!

As you may have gathered from my many thrifted vintage china finds, I love vintage china, especially tea cups.  I was so pleased to find a few tea cup linky parties in blog land.  It's another legitimate reason for me to droll over gorgeous photos of tea cups.  They do make my tummy go flip flop.

So I thought I would join in with one of my favourite tea cups from my collection.

It was bought for me from my very generous Mother In Law from an antique centre we were visiting.  It looks a wee bit boring on the outside but wait until you see inside. 

Sigh!  I love the colours and the details in the flowers.  I could stare at it all day.  

The saucer is just as detailed and just as pretty.

It's made by Foley and has pride of place on my dresser.

This post is shared on Sweetology, Rose Chintz Cottage, Time was Antiques,

Car Boot Loot #14

A very quick post today as the Wee Man has the lurgy.  I was all set for going to a car boot yesterday,the first time this year, then the Wee Man was struck down with lurgy.  I was so excited but needs must and we spent yesterday stuck indoors entertaining a poorly Wee Man.  Sigh!

I was able to get to town last week and did a quick tour of the charity shops.  I found lots of lovelies but only came home with one.  Charity shop prices have gone mental.  I know there's lots of blog posts about charity shop prices so I won't bore you with another one.  Alls I'll say is "BLIMEY!"

Lookey at this gorgeous Royal Albert tea plate.  It makes my heart sing.  I'm going to put some plates on my dining room wall and make a plate display.  All I need to do is get rid of all the Wee Man's "art" first.  Which may be a wee bit tricky.  

And of course I can't go into a charity shop without coming out with a pile of books for the Wee Man.  He's such a book worm.

So the Wee Man did better than I did this week.  Next Sunday will be a wash out also as we'll be visiting family.  So I'll lose another week of car booting.

Will I ever get to a car boot this year?!

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Car Boot Loot #11

It's all gone "Pete Tong".  It's pee'ng it down outside and I had planned on taking pics of all my goodies today.  Tut!  No worries, I have some photos of goodies I haven't shown yet.  Today's Car Boot Loot will not have any vintage china at all.  Shock!  Instead I've got some gorgeous vintage cutlery to show you all.  Woo Hoo!

First up some silverware I bought at a car boot a couple of weeks ago.  Actually it was the day the Big Man's parents left and to celebrate we headed for the local car boot.  :0)

Hidden amongst some toot on a table, I spied this cute little silver plate sugar tongs.  I did my usual humming and hawwing and the lovely lady stall holder gave it me for a meagre 50p.

As I paid for it I also spied another very tarnished piece of silverware and as I picked it up the lady offered it to me for 50p also.  50p for a silver plated cake slice!  Of course I'll take it.  A lot of elbow grease and silver polish has brought it up a treat.  I love the detail on it.

Whilst the Big Man's parents were here we headed into London, to Greenwich.  The Wee Man "drove" us there on the DLR and whilst the boys headed for the Maritime museum, the girls headed to the flea market.  I must admit I had a lovely time with my Mum in Law.  We cooed at some lovelies and discussed some family politics i.e. gossiped.  Whilst at a stall I picked up a strange looking spoon to ask the stall holder what it was. 

Before I could stop her, my Mum in Law did her usual and whipped out her purse and paid the £5 the stall holder was asking for it.  I bit my tongue as I knew my Mum in Law had no use for such a thing and was merely buying it for the sake of buying it.  I knew this gorgeous vintage lovely would spend it's life in a plastic bag at the back of a drawer.  I knew that given some time I could have haggled the price down, but we were having such a lovely time I didn't want to spoil it with my moaning about her shopping habits.  

I'm really glad I did bite my tongue, cos my Mum in Law bought it as a present for me.   

I love the detail on it's handle.

Can you guess what the spoon is used for?   I'll tell you at the end of the post.  Go on, start guessing.  

Next up is a mystery "spoon" that I picked up ages ago at a car boot.  

It's kinda like a spoon shovel thingie.  I have not a clue what it's used for.  Does anyone have any ideas?  

And lastly another present my Mum in Law gave me.  She had a good rummage around in her overflowing cupboards before she came down and brought me loads of goodies.  You'll have to wait a bit longer to see them all but until then, here's a sneaky peek. 

A beautiful set of vintage sliver plated tea spoons.  She was given them over twenty years ago by an old lady she had befriended.  The spoons were the lady's grandmother's, so you can imagine how old they are.  My Mum in Law has a tendency to "pick" up little old ladies who seem to be drawn to her.  She spends every Tuesday afternoon with an old lady who lives round the corner and even though I have never met this lady, she always, always gives the Wee Man cards for his birthday, Christmas and Easter and always with a £10 note in it. A  couple of years ago the lady's brother started sending cards to the Wee Man with money in it too!  Again I have never met or spoken with this man or this lady.  It really is lovely and the Wee Man always, always sends a  handmade thank you card to both of them.

And the last picture...

It wouldn't be the same without some vintage china, would it?  Doesn't the spoon look pretty with the china?  

There will be more details of the vintage china when I get some proper photos taken.  

Oh and the spoon with the holes in it?  It's a spoon used to put sugar on strawberries.  Very ingenious don't you think?

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Car Boot Loot #10

It's been a couple of weeks hasn't it?  I've lost all sense of time.  Hopefully now the Wee Man has started school I can give my blog some dedicated time.  The house will most probably suffer but hey ho, I am a Lady of Leeeeeee-jure now.

This morning I've been playing catch up with taking photos of the lovelies.  I've had to take a rain break so I'll post the photos I have taken,  more to follow at a later date.

First up, something I paid a lot more than I usually pay for things but a real bargain none the less.  A complete Queen Anne tea set with six teacups, six saucers, six tea plates and a cake plate.  Nineteen pieces in all for £7.50.  That's 40p for each piece!  It's so lovely and in mint condition.

Next up found amongst a tarpaulin littered with old rusty tools and general garage crud was this china sandwich plate.

According to the seller it's Ming Dynasty!  But according to the mark it's Minton.  After some haggling down from the thousands of pounds the seller wanted for his very rare Chinese antiquity!  I got it for a very respectable 75p.  Some quick ebay research told me I had in fact bagged myself a serious bargain.  This exact piece is being sold for between £10 to £25.99.  I'm not sure what it's really worth but I do know it's worth a lot more than 75p.

Next up another piece by Minton.  I know it's a jug, but I'm not really sure what kind of jug as it's got a saucer with it.  Does that mean it's for something other than milk or cream?  Maybe it's just a posh jug?  A little bit extra added to justify an extortionate price?  Not that the price I paid was extortionate.  One shiny British pound was paid for this beauty.

And the last item I got to photograph before the rain started was this lonesome little teacup.  I cannot for the life of me remember where or when I bought it.  I do know it was from a carboot sale this past fortnight.  But I have no recollection whatsoever of the actual purchase or the price paid.  I'm thinking it was a bargain price because I only buy things at bargain prices.  But I just can't remember.

Is this a sign of old age or maybe it's because I've bought so much stuff it's all becoming a blur. Yikes!  Another sign of hoarding?!

Do you ever get home from a carboot sale/ charity shop/ flea market (etc) and forget how much you paid for things?

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Car Boot Loot #9

Despite having the In Laws visiting, I still managed to drag the mob to a car boot on Saturday.  Hazza!  The Wee Man had a host of hives come out on his face as we were about to drive off but thankfully after thirty minutes of face staring the hives disappeared.

So we hot footed it to the Car Boot.  By the time we got there it had been open for two hours and with a feeling of great loss I started my rounds.  The stalls all held great promise, lots of vintage lovelies again, but I'm sure if we'd got there earlier, there would have been a lot more.  But hey ho, such is life.  At least I got thirty good minutes of staring at my gorgeous Wee Man's face, albeit with hives included.

So here's the goodies I snagged meself.

Whilst I was flicking through some books at a stall the seller "shouted" that they were 50p each and the ones behind were 10p.  The "ones behind" turned out to be vintage Ladybird books.  Before I could move the three inches to get to the Ladybird books, I was rugby tackled by Super Mom and her reinforced aluminium baby carrying frame complete with baby and nearly knocked off my feet.  Ignoring my indignation she swooped down and literally grabbed all of the books.  ***insert appropriate swear word***

Her bratty kids kept asking why she was buying those books.  "Why Mom?  Why?"  Through gritted teeth she boldly lied to her kids saying they were books she had as a child and just wanted to relive her childhood.  Ya right!  More like she was going to stick them on Ebay as soon as she got home. Whats more for the rest of the day it seemed that every time I looked up or behind me she was there, stalking me.

But I struck it very, very lucky.  Look what I found, without Super Mom breathing down my neck.  Ha!

They are all in very, very good condition compared to Super Mom's tatty and torn haul.  Ha!  They were only 10p each and I found a couple of the books for sale on a collectors website for £22 and £20.  Double Ha!

Moving on......From across the car boot I spied this and my heart lurched.  I loved this book when I was a child.  So I actually did buy it to relive my childhood.  No, really I did.  I doubt it's worth much money as it is a tatty old paperback printed about three decades after it was first printed.  But to me it is worth a lot more than the 5p I paid for it.

Moving away from the books and back to my usual chinaware, a couple of Wood & Sons "Woodland" dinner plates. I've never seen  plates like these before and though they are far from the usual flowery, pinky bone china that I favour, I thought they were worth bringing home with me.  Especially since they were 50p each.

I must admit, after staring at them some more, I'm not too enamoured with them.  The Big Man's Dad has been admiring them, so I may send the plates home with him.

Just as the Big Man called to entice me back to the car, I spotted a great stall with huge boxes of kids arts and crafts stuff for 50p each.  There were also loads of party bag fillers and party ware for 50p each also.  A very quick rummage in the boxes netted me these...

...a huge bag of pipe cleaners.  You can never go wrong with pipe cleaners.  Some Dora the Explorer fabric paints, which I am keeping for myself(!), a PVC messy mat and a diving toy submarine.  I'd have bought a lot more but I was very aware of the mob waiting for me in the car park.

So that was my mixed haul from the Car Boot on Saturday.  The visiting In Laws are doing well.  My tongue is also doing remarkably well.  Not much biting being done.  The Big Man's Mum has actually brought me a whole host of goodies....but that is another post.

Madison xxx

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Car Boot Loot #8

Wow!  Been ages since I wrote a car boot loot post and also been ages since I've been to a car boot.  We've been having lots of summer fun, despite the stupid weather.  Thunder storms one day and a heat wave the next.   The Big Man and I have been focusing on giving the Wee Man the best summer he has ever had i.e. trains, trains and more trains.  So every weekend has been spent riding some train or other so we haven't been able to get to any car boots.

But on Saturday, I finally, finally got to go car booting.  Yippee!!  My usual car boot runs on a Sunday afternoon but this clashes with steam trains, so we hot tailed it to a neighbouring town to what may well be the best car boot in the world.  OK, maybe I'm getting over excited, but wait until you see the goodies I bought.

So, so, so many lovelies.  The Big Man had to coax me away by getting the Wee Man to phone and plead for me to come back to the car.  Emotional blackmail!  GGGRRR!!!

I think it must have been "Clear Your Granny's Loft" day.  There were so many vintage goodies at stupid prices I think I am secretly glad the Wee Man blackmailed me back to the car.  Not that I spent a fortune.  But I'm sure there is only so much my house can hold before the Hoarding Police are called in.  

First up a haul of vintage saucers and tea cups.  The seller had crate loads of vintage china and I was getting decidedly hot under the collar.  The excitement was tantalising and I very nearly took out a young man as he rummaged alongside me for I think, kitchen bits for his student digs.  "Get out of my way, you layabout!"  Be warned, there are loads and loads of photos.  

And from the same seller a couple of tea cups.  A slightly chipped Johnson Brothers beauty and a gorgeous rose Duchess tea cup.  

I got all the saucers and the two teacups for a whopping £1.  I couldn't believe it!  Bargain, or what?!  When I found out the price I went digging some more in the crates and found these gorgeous vintage J&G Meakin soup bowls.  Four gorgeous bowls for a mere 50p.  

And of course you can't have a saucer without a teacup.  After my saucer haul at my last carboot and this carboot I desperately needed some teacups to go with them.  And I struck it lucky when I rummaged in a box full of crockery and found these gems.  Four beauties for a mere £1.50.  The seller had a lot more but by this time, the guilt was starting to set in so I had to limit myself.  

But the guilt soon disipated when I spotted this lovely teacup and saucer set for a relatively expensive £1.50. 

By this time my arms were aching and the glow on my forehead and top lip was starting to bead to add to my attractive no shower, no make up, non ironed, car boot look.  A look I work hard on achieving. 

As I contemplated going back to the car, I spotted this teapot and after some examination I decided it wasn't really that lovely and put it down.  I was about to walk away when I spotted the "Everything 50p" sign that was propped up against the tarpaulin.    50p for a teapot?!  Yes please!  I made a grab for it, nearly knocking over an old fellow who was flicking through a box of LPs and the teapot was mine, mine, mine.  I've suddenly grown to love it, which I suspect is more to do with it's price tag than it's design.  

Newly motivated and ever so slightly more deranged looking I wandered over to the next stall run by a man who was most definitely selling the contents of his Granny's loft.  Three lovely ceramic pomanders for a mere 20p each.  They even have their original stickers on them.  

A few stalls more and I found this delicate pink glass for 30p.  Is it a wine glass or a sundae glass?  I'm not really sure but I can tell you my Pinot tasted delicious from it.  

And what would I need to round off the Perfect car boot day?  Storage of course.  I spotted this strange looking jar on a stall and intrigued I chatted to the seller about it.  She said it was a preserve jar, but I wasn't too sure.  I hummed and hawwed for a bit and she said the magic "50p" and it was mine.  Having looked on t'internet I found that it is indeed a preserve jar, made by Weck, but it is missing some metal clamps that hold the lid shut.  Not to worry as I won't be using it for preserves.

That was my haul and I was and still am a very happy bunny.  Of course I also bought a few bits for the Wee Man.  A phonics game by Orchard Toys for a whopping £2.  Really rather expensive considering, but it's educational so justified.

Another great puzzle.  The Wee Man loves the Usbourne Young Puzzle books and this is a jigsaw of the same series.  We haven't built it yet and I hope, hope, hope all the pieces are in it.  I bought is for 75p.

And of course no day is complete without a train of some sort making an appearance.  The Wee Man spent 50p of his pocket money on this brand new die cast metal train.

Phew, what a haul and what a great way to spend a Saturday morning.  Totting up everything I'd spent on myself it only came to a mind boggling £6.40.  No wonder I'm on a high.  I've informed the Big Man that his Saturday morning duties will now include taking me to the car boot sale.  

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