My Creative Space..

I spend my afternoon in the land of yesteryear, sipping tea and sewing on my grandmother's beautiful Singer sewing machine. I wonder sometimes if yesteryear is where I belong and I feel like Peter Pan holding onto Neverland. I hear the tapping of typewriter keys and I feel at home.

Today's creative space, my grandmother's sewing machine, my Olympia typewriter and brooches ready to be created.

Sometimes I think that the brooches look like yummy cookies ready for the oven...

Swatches and buttons in a Hammersley China saucer

One of my favourite teacups I discovered at a garage sale filled with much loved finds, including feathers and antique buttons and buckles.

And so I meander back to my world in the past, pouring a glass of red wine and listening to the news along the way. Perhaps I can belong somewhere in the middle, gathering inspiration for all my favourite moments in history. I hope you have had a wonderful Thursday.

Much love and vintage moments
xxx

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An afternoon of Antiques..

I just adore when my day takes a wonderful and unexpected new path and what better day for an adventure through the countryside than a Sunday. My hubby and I set out this afternoon for a little trip to the wonderful Rose Harvest to rummage through the beautiful rooms in search of treasures and to also buy a vintage mannequin that I have had my eye on for some time.

I was delighted to find the lovely mannequin just waiting for me to take home. I'm so excited with my new friend (who still needs a name) and can't wait to use it to display my brooches. After a little searching I also found this gorgeous blue Sadler teapot, which just seems like it belongs at the Mad Hatter' tea party.

Very happy with my finds I was ready for a relaxing afternoon at home but after striking up a conversation about typewriters whilst purchases my goodies, I found out about an amazing antiques just over the South Australian border, that I was assured would have a typewriter or two. So my hubby and I jumped in the car and off we drove through the country side to try and find this wonderful sounding antiques shop. Over an hour later, we found it, in a tiny little spot just outside Renmark called Paringa was Cammies Antiques.. two entire sheds full of almost anything you could imagine.

And it just so happened that there was a lovely little vintage Olympia Portable typewriter sitting down the back looking for a good home.

My lovely new typewriter...

We also found some amazing old typewriter ribbon in this gorgeous little tin. I can feel a whole new collection coming on.

So now my house in beginning to look like a typewriter repair store so I'm going to have to start finding a spot for all of my lovely typewriters, perhaps their very own bookshelf. Overall a very surprising and productive afternoon of antique delights. Now I can't wait to put everything to good use.

I hope your weekend has been fully of lovely moments too. I'm off to settle in for the finale of Masterchef and perhaps to do a little sewing and try out my new little Olympia.

Much love and Antiques
xxx

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My dear little Rose.. a love letter

A piece of history, a tiny moment from a life unknown, has found its way into my world and I will now embark on my most exciting adventure yet.

During my antiques hunt, as I bought my handfuls of beauty to the counter I was amazed and delighted to find out that the fabulous girls at Rose Harvest read my blog and had kept something for me that they thought I might like. Out from behind the beautifully decorated counter appeared an incredible two page, hand written love letter from 1919. As a thumbed the beautiful worn pages I couldn't help but think that fate works in wonderful ways.

'To my dear little Rose'

This beautiful letter from Rose's 'ever true' Stan tells the tragic tale of his time away from her as he sailed Cowell to Adelaide. The letter that time forgot.. I now feel a part of Rose and Stan's lives and am determined to find out more about their beautiful story and create a piece of artwork to celebrate their love.

I worry that beautiful love letters like this no longer exist in a world of emails, text messages and twitter, so I invite you all to share with me in taking a few moments out of your day, to write a love letter to that special someone in your life. Write from your soul, let the words pour out onto the page and embrace that old world beauty, a love affair to remember... stained in ink.

Much love and letter writing
xxx

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Vintage Delights..

As promised I'm back with the lovely treasures I picked up on my gorgeous outing to Rose Harvest Antiques. Prepared with my Dorothy shoes, a little bag (I'm always worried I will bump one of their beautiful displays) and my very best bowerbird instincts I found some beautiful little bits and pieces to add to my vintage collections.

A sweet little Aynsley saucer, embroidered napkin and lovely old key.

And an amazing jar of buttons! How could I resist! Although I did feel a little strange walking out with the whole jar. I couldn't believe the amazing treasures I found when I explored the contents.

These are my favourite pieces from the jar which include, a toy horse and old dress maker's chalk.

I also bought a gorgeous pair of brown vintage gloves which will be perfect for the frosty mornings we are having. Overall a fabulous afternoon, I will definitely be back next weekend to pick up a second jar of buttons and take some photos of the incredible rooms. On the way back from Rose Harvest I took a quick detour to Spotlight to check out their big sale and grabbed some very sweet and girly fabric.

A feel a very cute girly collection of brooches emerging from these lovelies

Inspired by the beautiful lavender gardens at Rose Harvest I just couldn't wait to dye the napkins and doilies given to me by the lovely library fairies. I'm so delighted with the results, now to create some beautiful pieces with all my freshly dyed pieces.

Inspired by nature - hand dyed vintage linen

And how could I forget my dear little granny squares which keep me company each night by the fire. As the yarn becomes a tangled weave of beauty and the hook my new faithful friend, my granny square adventures continue.

Crochet and scrabble, two of my favourite things.

I'm off to get cozy by the fire and finish the little square above. With my lovely hubby taking care of dinner tonight (it smells so lovely) I'm looking forward to completing a few more squares and perhaps even a game of Scrabble a little later.

Hope your weekend has been filled with delights. Make sure you pop into my little Etsy shop and check out my new Nostalgia collection of 'I heart' brooches.

Much love and vintage delights
xxx

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A touch of yesteryear - my antique finds..

Our beautiful Easter weekend would not have been complete without a rummage through some of Mildura's lovely Antique shops and it seems no matter how hard I try I can never quite walk away empty handed. I realised just how keen my Bowerbird instincts are when the shop assistant at Rose Harvest Antiques walked into one of the small and beautifully cluttered rooms to find me sitting on the floor delving into the back corner under with my head under a dressing table (minding all the silverware as I went) in search for old tattered books. Here are my treasures..

Postcards and two beautiful old books (from under the dressing table)
I can't wait to use the green one called General Science which has beautiful revision notes written all over the back cover.

I couldn't resist this crossword puzzle book, it tells such a fascinating story

A beautiful ink bottle to add to my collection... there is just something about ink bottles I adore, perhaps it is all the letters they have help to create.

I found this little 'Kinco' brass trinket box in another little room in Rose Harvest again sitting on the ground in search of books. I pulled this out from under an old trunk, I love that it was hidden away as if it were holding a secret.

My favourite find of all was actually at the Old Wentworth Goal. I have been searching everywhere from some lovely old skeleton keys and couldn't believe my luck to find these in one of the tiny antiques rooms.

I search things that catch my eye, which often are not the prettiest or most clean. I love my antiques to tell stories of the days they spent on mantel pieces and in dusty cupboards.. Often I am searching for pieces that can be trasformed into artwork and sometimes things.. well I just can't leave without them.

Have a wonderful Wednesday! I will be back a little later with some of the new pieces I have been working on. It's windy, dark and dusty here, the perfect reading weather.

Much love and antique treasures
xxx

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Life on the Murray - a week in pictures...

What a delightful week it has been here in Mildura. My lovely in-laws have flown back to Queensland today after a very enjoyable week in which I got to play hostess and tour guide of our pretty little town, my husband was the chauffeur and fabulous chef. I was amazed at just how relaxing it was to spend the morning sight seeing and the afternoon pottering in the sunshine, crocheting, finding the answers to crossword puzzles and drinking tea. I was also inspired to create a few new pieces whilst watching the sun set which I will feature in a post tomorrow. It was beauitful to be able to capture my week in photographs and I just can't resist sharing some of our adventures.

Places...

A ride in a paddle steamer down the Murray River

View of the weir back towards Mildura..

Lunch and wine tasting at Trentham Estate Cellar Door

A visit to the Wentworth Gaol to see Palimpsest #7
Sculpture - Mortified Landscapes by Kate Vivian

A fossick through the lavendar for beautiful antiques..

Through the secret garden gate to Rose Harvest

...to find wonderful treasures

Flora and Fauna

My favourite shade of rose..

A very beautiful and vivid native wattle.

Some delightful little toadstools - I was secretly searching for the fairies..

A very friendly Pied Butcherbird.. they have the most delightful songs.

We couldn't believe our luck when we stumbled upon this beautiful snake-necked turtle whilst taking a walk through King's Billabong.

Just a little slice of my beautiful week.. Tomorrow's post will bring the lovely treasures I found whilst rummaging through some of our wonderful antique shops and even my favourite little find from the old goal. I will also be updating my shop with a few new pieces inspired 'autumn leaves and dust jackets'. It is so lovely to be back, I've missed my little blog everyone in blog land very much.

Until tomorrow,

Much love and delightful adventures
xxx

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A literary weekend..

Searching through a shelf of old books may not seem like much to some but I find just adore the search for that very special piece of history. I must have married well because my hubby seems to enjoy it almost as much as I do. Saturday we wondered down to Sweet Lily, a lovely little cottage style homewares shop with antiques out the back. They have a wonderful collection of books and antiques. I was looking for some cheap damaged books to use in my artwork but what we discovered was very special indeed.

From top to bottom:
Beautiful red leather early 1900's copy of Sesame and Lilies by John Ruskin. Another 'Rules of Syntax' book for my collection filled with sweet ink stained pages. A 1895 copy stunning hardcover copy of Sweetheart Travellers by S. R Crochett. My hubby's pick - A History of the English-Speaking Peoples by Winston S. Churchill

Sesame & Lilies and Sweetheart Travellers came from the same collection and both have these amazing worn pages that I just adore.

Inspired by these beautiful pages I just couldn't resist creating a new mixed media collage, inspired by my favourite tale of adventure by Mr. Lewis Carroll.

Many Tea Things - Original Mixed Media Collage

Created on an early 20th century prescription book cover, this collage is something I've been dreaming up for a little while and can't wait to make some more in the series. You can find it in my little shop now.

Remember to let me know if you have fabric scraps you would like created into a collage brooch. For more information read my post from earlier today. Also my new collection of brooches is selling quickly so make sure you pop over to my shop and see if there is something special for you or a loved one.

I hope you have had a wonderful weekend, I'm off to cook dinner and get ready for 'Lost in Austen' I can't wait. Everyone needs a little Austen in their lives.

Much love
xxx

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Weekend adventures of fabric and ink bottles...

How quickly the weekend comes and goes when there are so many wonderful things to be done. Surrounded by fabric, I have spent the weekend creating, dreaming and sewing. It's so lovely to have a little shop full of goodies, with more to come over the week. I've also been busy on my little secret, with new fabric and ideas running wild together in my studio.

Colour scheme board..

One of my favourite creations of the weekend is a little brooch inspired by the floor of a sewing studio and the lovely bits of fabric that are left behind after a day of creating.

The Seamstress

This unique little collage brooch will be available in my Etsy shop later this evening. With so many lovely bits of fabric around my studio, I can see few more of these brooches being created very soon.

The afternoon sunshine called me outside and I couldn't resist a meander through the lovely Rose Harvest. There is nothing better on a Sunday afternoon than browse through a beautiful antiques shop.

The backyard of the shop, full of candelabras, antique garden settings and beautiful plants.

The shop cascades out the back to the shed which houses some of my favourite pieces.

Fabulous old suitcases that have seen many wonderful adventures.

This amazing typewriter was actually behind the shed and covered in dust and leaves. I hope it will be there when I return another day.

Of course I couldn't leave empty handed and just couldn't resist a few pieces of add to the collection of antiques on my writer's desk.

This 1935 National Derivation Book, which once belonged to Lorna Rose still covered in the brown paper with splashes of ink from her school days.

A charming little ink bottle with an amazing little tin lid. I love any antiques to do with writing and ink bottles are one of my favourite new collections.

A beautiful photo still on its original backing from 1917. I'm just fascinated by the family all dressed up in the little row boat. I also found these lovely vintage packet of needles. The old typography is so beautiful.

I hope everyone has had a wonderful weekend. I'm off to cook dinner and get ready for an evening of sewing brooch backs and watching channel 10's addictive Sunday lineup.

Much love and vintage afternoons

xxx

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All the world's an antique adventure..

What a weekend I've had! I wonder is some days the vintage world aligns and antiques just fall at your feet.

My very favourite place to be on a Saturday morning Pleasentrees is sadly closing down, so we went out for our very last hot chocolate and to check out their old barn full of beautiful French homewares.

The best hot chocolate ever...

I have had my eye on one of their Louis XVI style bedroom chairs for so long and with a bit of coaxing from my lovely friend Joelene and even my hubby, I finally bought it to match my little antique writing desk.

My beautiful new chair...

I was so delighted, I thought my day couldn't get much better but on the way home I decided to stop at my other favourite spot in Mildura, Rose Harvest to buy my friend a birthday present. Last time we were there I spotted an amazing old type writer but didn't really ever consider buying it. I went back to the same spot and it was still there and again my dear hubby said, I know you want it, you will never find another one, just get it. After a very long,10 minute wait to see if a couple that had it on hold still wanted it, the typewriter was all mine. A 1908 Remington Standard 10. I think I'm in love....

And it actually still works! It makes the most beautiful sound, like the beat of a classic writer dreaming up their first novel.

Other then my fabulous antique adventures I have been busy filling my little shop with plenty of new brooches. A big thank you to CurlyPops for the lovely feature on a couple of brooches I sent her, including one of my favourite custom orders I have done so far, I heart chocolate. She is super sweet, take a moment to stop by her blog and say hi.

I've just put ten new brooches in the shop and although two sold very quickly there are still many of my favourites there, including:

Tea Cup Collector

I heart pirates.. aaarrrr!

I heart Bookworms (inspired by my Saturday Shopping List)

I dream of Wuthering Heights (Oh Heathcliff!)

A big thank you to by bestie Courtney helping come up with some of these new phrases. The rest of the lovely new collection can be found in my little shop.

Well I'm off to enjoy a lovely Sunday night, got to love a husband that can cook. I hope your weekend has been wonderful, whatever you have been up to. To all my fellow Aussies have a wonderful Australia Day, I'll be listening to Triple J's Hottest 100, going for a swim and enjoying the last of my holidays. What are your plans?

Happy Sunday
xxx

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