9 weeks to go......

'Till what I hear you ask........Christmas of course!  If, like us, money is tight this year I expect you may have already started putting a few bits and pieces away for the big day.  You might like to know that I will be selling my wares at the following events over the next few months;

29th October - Cornhall, Cirencester
5th November - Vintage Christmas Fair, Cricklade Town Hall 10-4pm
12th November - Bishops Cleeve Primary School shopping event, 7-9.30pm
16th November - Puddleducks Nursery, Chalford, 8pm
20th November - Miserden School Fair, 11-4pm
26th November - Vintage and Handmade at Posterity, Ledbury 10-6pm
1st December - Duntisbourne Leer 2-8pm
3rd December - Bath Road Market 10-4pm
4th December - Sheepescombe School Fair

and of course I will continue to be at the Cornhall, Cirencester every Wednesday.
Hope to see you there!

Hazel

So glad it all went well, wishing you a speedy recovery and no pain.  Keep smiling and remember you'll come home to newly planted window boxes!!  Loads of Love x

Birthday Treats!

A birthday in our house is always a time for treats and celebrations - well mine was no exception!  I was woken with presents including 2 boxes from my favourite potter - Emma Bridgewater!
I also finally got to wear the earings that I have spent all summer paying for, new slippers, smellies and gorgeous Cath Kidston treats - oh but that was just the beginning.......
I was whisked up the M5/M6 to the world of Emma B and treated to lunch in her fab new kitchen/cafe, a little bit of shopping was allowed (well it is my birthday!) and then onwards to Manchester.



This is what I bought - I love it!

Why Manchester?  To see Peter Kaye Live of course and he didn't disapoint, I nearly passed out I laughed so much. We had a night in a fabulous Hotel, use of a complimentary bar and canapes, gorgeous breakie cooked by someone else and a night without the kids thanks to my mum.  What could be better?  I was spoilt and pampered and I loved every minute of it!
So it's been a while - lost my enthusiasm a little back there.  I have been busy booking Xmas fairs and events and as always making - want to see the latest project?

 I have always wanted to have a go at using wallpaper - pretty expensive if you make a mistake - but thankfully this has turned out perfectly.  I have painted this in Farrow & Ball Pointing and of course the paper is Cath Kidston Antique Rose, it is now listed on good ole Ebay so take a look.
See you soon, x

New stock

Usually at this time of year I add a few new items to my stock - want to see a few of them?







gorgeous ceramic rose hook £8.99

 







mini bunting - wooden - £4.99

 



I'm back!

Oh I love being back at the Cornhall, I've had a great day there today.  I've seen all my fellow stallhoders and had a good natter and giggle with them, I've met some of my regular customers and sold some gorgeous treasures to them, I've had a bacon sandwich from Bobs and lastly I've had a break from my 2 adorable(?) girls - back to school next week!  Yeh what could be better.

Busy Busy Busy!

We have had a fabulous summer - obviously I forgot to take the camera on our latest adventure but trust me is was good and the memories will stay for a very long time.  This summer has been very busy and although it is nearly at an end and life is beginning to return to normal we still have a few more adventures to look forward to. 
This weekend I was fortunate to be asked to take part in the Cotswolds Vintage Fair in Toddington, again I forgot my camera but it was fabulous.  So many stalls bursting with vintage goodies - too many to choose from.  My daughter came with me and as a reward I let her have some money to choose something for herself - she came back with a glass jug!!!!  I managed to purchase a little bit of scrumptiousness too - want to see?

I bought the little green and yellow flower brooch.  1200 people came to the fair on Saturday an amazing number of people in such a small space but I think we can all agree that the day was great.

I haven't had a lot of time to make or sell this summer but I have been commisioned to make this....

It's a bench! (not yet put together)  I have painted this and decorated it with paper, it is designed to be used indoors but with a coat of clear varnish could also be used outdoors.  These are available in the Cornhall, Cirencester and I will be producing them in a variety of designs.  I am so excited - this is my first one and there may be one on sale in a long established retailer soon - watch this space!
I am back at the Cornhall from tomorrow and will soon be taking delivery of some new stock!  Hope to see you there.
Bye for now

Garden fun!

Anybody can have a trampoline but how many people have a piano in thier garden?

It's a long story!  Oh but look we also have a new trampoline................

My girls decided to spend some of their holiday money on a trampoline - a great investment!

Poorly

Feeling very sorry for myself today - not well and have decided due to very poor sales yesterday to cancel my pitch at the Cornhall next week, I will be back weekly from 31st August.

look at this beauty

What do you think?  Bought on a market stall in London during my recent vacation for the grand sum of £10 - bargain.  I don't think you know who would be very impressed but I love it!
I did promise to add the dates that I will be at the Cornhall over the summer so here they are;
Wednesday 10th August, Wednesday 17th August and Wednesday 31st August
Hope to see you there!

London

We have just spent 4 nights in the big smoke and have had a fabulous time

We wanted to show our girls some of the sights of our beautiful, historic capital - and show them we did.
We stayed in a hotel in Docklands, right on the river, one of the highlights for all of us was having to catch a little ferry over the river each morning and evening.
We have planned this trip as a family for several months planning which sights we most wanted to see, so of course a must was a hop on hop off trip on an open topped bus - or if you are 6, a bus without a lid!
This was a great way to see the city, I even managed to climb all 311 steps of the monument at Pudding Lane  (I did need the aid of an oxygen mask and had to be airlifted down - only joking!!)
Another must see, have a go on, was the London Eye.  We all loved this and the experience was made even better by Elvis!  I kid you not Elvis was alive and kicking at the London eye - he is now about 25 and black but he was fab and got us into a pod with just 2 other people.  Who says people in London are not friendly?  I don't, we met a few really warm and generous people who made our visit really special.

Each night we arrived back at our hotel happy, tired and in need of a shower and a large of glass of something red!  I got to see China Town and Brick Lane and have plans to do an adult trip to see lots of other places that would not interest either my husband or 6 year old!  A great start to the summer hols and a trip that we will all remember for a very long time. 

Charity shop finds

Look at this beauty

Emma Bridgewater scattered rose bowl, found on Monday sold on Tuesday and is one of my best finds so far!

Here comes summer

Well the summer holidays anyway - not sure about the summer weather!
We are busy making plans a holiday in London to see the sights and take in a show!  A fabulous loan of a holiday house in beautiful Cornwall - can't wait, a holiday with aunts, uncles, cousins etc in Suffolk and the usual chilling with friends, what are your plans?

Rain stops play

Yet again I have got soaked trying to put up a gazebo to stop the dreaded rain soaking all my stock!  Me and Hols arrived really excited to be at a great event (Sherston Boules) having spent hours making stock, loading the car and planning our strategy!  It bucketed, even my knickers were soaked!  So we decided to pack up and come home, via a few shops of course - despite being soaked to the bone we still made the effort to support the local shopkeepers!  We are truly selfless!  So having made it home and after warming my bones in a lovely hot bath the sun has obviously decided to shine all afternoon - typical - I am gutted!
Lets hope it continues to shine for the carboot tomorrow, see ya.

Drum roll please......

So here it is.........this is what I won on the raffle last Saturday!  (Photo is rubbish and does not really do it justice!)  Ah bless my husband does really believe me, anyhow I saw this same chest of drawers in Vinegar Hill, Cheltenham on sale for a whopping £185.99!!!!!  So me thinks it might find it's way to my next sale, I love it but have nowhere to put it, shame especially with the effort of maintaining my version of how I aquired it!
Have a fab weekend.

Tatties and Raffles

We had the first of our home grown produce this week.........

My youngest was so proud to dig up the first of our potatoes - we had them for lunch and they were delicious!
She has also been picking raspberries and strawberries for a few weeks - how much contribution to your 5 a day is 1 raspberry?  Answers on a postcard please!
On a completely different note I am trying so hard to stay away from any shops that have the word sale on the window - whatever the shop if they have a sale I have to go in because you never know!  We have very little spare cash at the moment and I do not need to buy 'anything' but I am so easily tempted.  In the dead of the night, when everyone is asleep I have been known to fill internet baskets full to bursting with desirable, must have items - only to chicken out and fail to complete the order when reality sets in.
I did however make a purchase at the table top sale on Saturday and have so far managed to convince my husband that I won it in the raffle!!!!!!  He would only be upset so really I am being kind!  Want to see what it is?  Photo to follow.......................

Where to find me

Over the next few months I have will be having fun and hopefully selling at the following events.......

2nd July - Birdlip and Brimpsfield Playgroup table top sale from 2pm

9th July - Priory Fair, Cheltenham 2-5pm

10th July - Charity Fete and Car boot, Strensham  10-4pm

16th July - Sherston Boules 10 - 4pm

27th August - The Cotswolds Vintage Fair, Toddington 10 - 4pm

I hope to see you there!

Help!

I have managed to loose the pictures that are attached to my followers blog titles - don't know how but does anyone know how to get them back???

Be still my beating heart

Jackson Brodie........................Luscious................................no need to say any more!

Flaming June

I'm not sure if I should call it Raining June instead?
As it's summer I thought I would make a feature of my cake stands as I currently have a few, so on Wednesday whilst at the Cornhall I set to and created a little display....

I have added some pretty fabric cupcakes from Laura Ashley to create that summer afternoon tea party feel.  Vintage glass cake stands are becoming harder to find and luckily I have some stunners for sale.  However I was a little hindered when trying to set up my fabulous display.....

These 2 jokers thought this was hilarious!  The gorgeous Lyds and Jules, I think they may have been a little bored!!
So to continue with my cake stand theme I am offering 10% discount on any Vintage Glass Cake Stand purchased during June.

Beach Hut

This beauty is up for sale!
When we were children me and my brother spent many happy summers in Suffolk staying on our grandparent's farm.  Living nearby were lots of aunts, uncles and cousins.  The whole family rented a beach hut at Felixstowe which we had use of all summer long.  I loved that hut and can still smell it now!  We used to get changed in and store all our beach items, we had windbreaks which would be erected around a huge area of pebbly beach.  We had tomato soup made with milk after a freezing cold swim and were not allowed in the sea again until at least an hour after eating! (my Aunty Mary's rule!) Such happy, happy, sunny times
I wish I lived nearer to the sea and owned one of these beauties - hey ho maybe one day.

Why Lotties Barn?

When I first decided to start my little business I needed to come up with a name.  When my second daughter was born we could not agree on a name for her and were still deciding after she was born!  We liked the name Charlotte but my husband had a peculiar way of pronouncing it which I could not live with, I also wanted to shorten Charlotte to Lottie and my husband to Charlie, so there you have it, we called her something completely different!  We also live in a barn!  I still love the name Lottie so Lotties Barn was born.

Inspiration

Over the years I have made lots of things, toy boxes, painted ikea boxes, Scumble Goosie painted items & furniture all to sell and all with varying degrees of success.  So last year when my mum gave me 2 wooden 1970's frames I initially thought I would just paint them, they were large and had a kind of bark/wallpaper trim which would still show once painted, so when I found some pretty red and white decoupage paper I thought that would be just the job.  I painted them gloss red, with paper detail and added a collage of photos of my girls.  On white walls they look fab!  So forward 6 months and I am now covering mirror frames with paper and the results have been amazing - I am so amazed and thrilled each time I sell one.  Do you want to see my latest one?

I think this is fab -  I love the colours.  I spend quite a bit of time sourcing new papers which means that unfortunately this involves going into loads and loads of fabulous shops!!  I have told my husband that it is purely for research!
I find the mirrors in all sorts of places and some are easier to cover than others and there are many mirrors that I didn't buy that I so wish I had.
Anyway this mirror and others will be on my stall this week.

All's well that ends well

Phew the jam has set!  I have it on very good authority - from northern jam connosoir, Joe - that the jam is delicious and does indeed stay on the bread (an earlier complaint from another taster)

Here it is - I am delighted that all the hard work and patience paid off!  I have 11 jars so we should be well stocked for the winter.
I didn't have a great day at the Cornhall this week so decided a little treat was in order, want to see what the treat was?

A little brooch that I couldn't resist, I do have quite a lot of brooches/badges but I thought this was too pretty to leave behind!  I have a stall at a fete in Chalford tomorrow so I hope the sun shines and I have a good day.  Have a great weekend.

disaster!!

Well here's the plan, it's half term, my girls are home, the weather is a little bit sunny, I am feeling a tiny little bit like Nigella Lawson crossed with Nigel Slater crossed with a fabulous mother.  So put all this together and I decided to make strawberry jam with my girls!  So off we set to pick strawberry's at our local PYO farm......

My eldest did ask what PYO means!
So strawberry's picked and a kings ransom paid off we set to a well known supermarket to purchase sugar.  On arriving home with the job of hulling the said strawberries to be done, suddenly everyone is busy.
So the job falls to me!

So to work, pan too small for number of strawberries picked, took ages to come to boil, boiled for ever, once boiling had to decant to second pan as boiling over edge of first pan, used all saucers to test, decided to bottle in the hope it may set once cooled - RESULT, 3 hours later - runny strawberry jam!!
DISASTER!!!!
Plan B - decant jam, buy Certo, re-boil, put back into rewashed and sterilised jars, add gorgeous Cath Kidston labels - job done!  I can then convince everyone that I am indeed Nigella Lawson crossed with Nigel Slater!  Forget the fabulous mother part, once they had picked and scoffed their weight in strawberries they lost interest
Picture of completed scrummy jam to follow once above actions have been completed.

Mirror update No4

Remember this?

Along it came to the Cornhall with me on Wednesday and it sold!  I was so excited, I can't tell you the feeling of someone loving something that I had made so much that they want to buy it and take it home with them.
It was amazing, and to top that, right at the end of the day I took a commission to decorate a mirror for another customer.  Busy busy busy but feeling chuffed to bits!

Rumble in the Jumble!

I don't know about you but I love a village jumble sale, and this Saturday there was one in a nearby village.  So along I went with my bag, purse and elbows sharpened.  It was FAB!
Want to see what I found?

A really pretty pair of curtains that I know will have come from a cottage window.  They are called rose stencil by Sanderson.  I have nowhere to put them but they were cute and only £1 so I couldn't resist.

My Nan had these serving dishes and served every meal in them for as long as I can remember.  I had to have this dish, very 1930's in design and colour and so reminds me of amazing food eaten with my Nan.

I also bought these box frames that I have covered.  They are great for keeping baby keepsakes, first shoes etc or for making a collage picture in - perhaps memories of a favourite holiday or just for a picture.  You guessed it they will be on my stall on Wednesday.
My weekend also involved the carboot, a chinese meal with friends, several bottles of wine and a little girl sleepover - perfect!
What did you do?

Blog stalker!

A really disturbing thing has happened to me recently,  Another seller has decided to steal my business ideas and contacts.  I am very friendly to people who come to see me on my stall and I love to chat to them about vintage glass, however I never expected that someone would then try to copy my ideas.  Someone has set up a blog - looking exactly the same as mine - and then contacted all the places that I sell to and events that I have signed up to and asked to also have a stall selling the same as me, vintage glass!  I have worked hard to set up and establish my little business, I know my idea is not original and I know there will be others out there selling the same as me yet to deliberately steal my ideas and my contacts is not on.  I have had to block them from reading this blog and now I have gone into fight mode.  I have taken this very personally and feel that people need to know about my experience to stop things like this from happening.  Be warned.

Mirror No3

Finally - it's finished!!!!    Hurrah and I'm really pleased with the result, what do you think?

This has been a real labour of love - get it?  My lack of patience has taught me a massive lesson and one which hopefully I won't need to repeat.
I already have a commission to make another! Oh no!
This will be on my stall - at the Cornhall - tomorrow, hope to see you there.

Now I just need to find my glasses!

Wow!

2 carboots in one weekend, a trawl round the charity shops and a stall at Stroud market mean I am now stocked up and raring to go!  If you're anything like me you'll want a little peak at the gorgeous goodies I have acquired so here are just a few.....

2 vintage, pressed glass cake stands - getting harder and harder to find but really popular.  Unfortunately one of these has a small chip to it's base but i still thought it was too beautiful to leave behind.

This little beauty is in perfect, if incomplete condition.  It is a lovely pink and I think dates to the 1930's, these too are very popular and I have sold a few, however they do attract alot of 'my granny had one of those' or  'I've got one of those in the attic' type of comments.

Salts - I have a customer who buys lots of these from me.  I didn't really realise what a salt was and I have to say I think they are really pretty as well as being functional.  I currently have a pair of salts that have a registration mark that dates them to 1897!

I found these beauties at the carboot  - printers trays
All of these and more will be on my stall at the Cornhall this week, and finally

Soaps - I often find little dishes that I think would make great soap dishes.  Customers often buy them as gifts and like to have a nice soap too.  So I decided to buy a few nice Waitrose olive and jojoba soap and wrap them in pretty paper so cutting down on costs but still giving a pretty soap with each dish.  What do you think?

Mirror update No1

Disaster!  My lack of patience has meant that I have messed about with the mirror for hours - days even, finally stripping off the paper on Saturday night.  I need to replenish paper stock and start again!!!!!  This time though I have a plan!

Good pickings at 2 carboots today, but on closer inspection 1 chipped, 1 cracked and 1 with lid and base not matching!  Am I down hearted?  No!  Perhaps I need to wear my glasses next time!

I have also wrapped some soaps in pretty paper to add to soap dishes - so if the lady who thought she was getting the soap with her dish she bought recently reads this please come and see me again and I will give you a pretty soap.

Piccies to follow of gorgeous carboot buys and hopefully completed mirror!

Look what I found

This large mirror bought from a charity shop yesterday will be my new project, I'm going to cover it in this....

Fabulous Jan Constantine paper.
My biggest problem when starting a new project is that I want to start straight away, I have no patience, sometimes I need to step back and plan and take my time, but the excitement of wanting to see it finished just takes over!
I have spent 4 days this week at the Cornhall - I feel like it has become my second home - so with a few days off I need to re-stock, make some new products and probably most importantly clean my house!

Quick hello

I have been at the Cornhall this weekend and will be there again today - I'm running out of stock!  I did a quick run around the Carboot yesterday and have sold some of the items already!  Lots more needed - panic!

A little bit of what you fancy.....

The weather has been so fab that I have found myself and my girls in the garden loads this last week.  I love to find new plants and regularly in the Spring I buy them, plant them and then our rabbit eats them!  So some friends have given us these giant tubs which we have planted with potatoes, carrots and sweet peas. 

My youngest has loved watering them every morning and evening and was thrilled when she was rewarded with tiny little plants beginning to grow. 
At the carboot yesterday I found this.......

Lilly of the Valley

I love this tiny plant as the smell is gorgeous - this was 50pand not too much to loose if the rabbit has it for brekie!
Last year my Aunty Helen gave me this old metal bath and I planted it with herbs - ala Kirsty.  They all died off in the winter and I didn't hold out much hope for any surviving but as you can see....

Fabulous

And finally amongst all this self sufficiency I have found time for a little creativity.  I have been quite successful with selling my mirrors recently and so have added to my stock with this little beauty, a carboot buy thats in the middle of its transformation

So real life is beckoning - back to school tomorrow.  Parties to look forward to though...............

Baileys

Well off I went.  Baileys Homestore is situated near Ross on Wye so not too difficult to find.  No photos - sorry - they don't allow any photography.  I wasn't disappointed, it's one of those shops that makes me want to buy something - it basically doesn't matter what! I just wanted to move in and live there or take everything home with me. They have some gorgeous vintage items, all with a hefty price tag attached!  So what did I buy I hear you ask........well.......I bought not 1 but 2 wooden spoons and some red gingham ribbon.  I know really extravagant!  Don't be disappointed though because on the way back I stopped off in Ross for a little mooch with my youngest.  Ross has loads of charity shops but no bargains to be found today, however I did stumble upon a little treasure trove of Greengate gorgeousness and obviously had to buy something for the business!  I could not leave the shop without a Pinny, a traycloth and some plastic cups.  I have never seen so much luscious Greengate in one place - I will definately be going back!

Greengate pinny - to strictly be worn on my stall only!

We also bought some nasturtium seeds to plant alongside our potatoes, more on that later.

Outing

I'm off here tomorrow
www.baileyshomeandgarden.com
I've been wanting to go for ages, so many people have told me its fab!  I'll let you know what I think!

Mr Whippy and a glass of red!

Look where I was yesterday.....

Holly (www.spotsandmore.co.uk) and I set up our wares at the Vale Country Fair and Point to Point.  We had a great day, would have been better with a credit card machine and fewer dogs attempting to wee on the brooms!  The sun shone all day and we sold loads.  I am constantly taken aback by the generosity of other stallholders.  We had a rather flimsy - carboot buy - gazebo, the top was a rather snug fit on the frame and we had pathetic pegs to hold it down.  So to our rescue came two lovely ladies who secured our gazebo with heavy duty pegs and ropes!  We ended the day with a Mr Whippy ice cream and a plastic cup of red - delicious!

New Stock

For a limited period I am stocking these gorgeous Emma Bridgewater 1/2 pint mugs RRP £17.95 I am stocking them at £12 each!

FAB day!

Great day at the Cornhall today - delicious bacon sandwich, a few laughs, really nice comments, some great sales, and finally a lovely stall holder who has given me the opportunity to own some must have earrings by paying weekly/monthly!  It doesn't get any better than that!!  Off to see dinosaurs tomorrow.

Sunshine, bakewell tart and THE CARBOOT!

Wow, what a beautiful weekend all my favourite things in 1 weekend.  The carboot, which as you know is where I can be found every Sunday morning, was FAB this week.  I had to queue for 10 minutes to get in by which time I had palpitations of excitement, I was desperate to get there I nearly abandoned the car and walked the last bit!!  I bought loads and could have bought loads more - do you want a little peek?

gorgeous blue salts

Victorian Davidson hobnail pedestal cake stand

 

 

1950's shot glasses

Art deco blue glass dish

This is just a tiny selection of my purchases - and the photos do not do them justice!  They will all be on my stall at the Cornhall this week.  Finally the highlight of Saturday was a friend (male!) making us a homemade bakewell tart - it was delicious, I won't tell him that though, it will go straight to his head!  I need to come down from my carboot high and get the ironing done!