Tuesday 27 April 2010

Saturday 24th (Miss R's treasure)...

I know... I hear you cry another glass dome, I can't seem to stop looking for these beauties. Miss J and I dream of one day finding a huge glass dome. This one housed a glass sculpture of an oil rig, I'm sorry I keep getting too carried away when I get home and cleaning everything before I photograph the before shots. I must try harder this week :)
Anyway the dome was £2 and the vintage Chanel perfume bottle was 5p, I had to buy it as I had just last week been drawing this bottle for a new illustration I am doing so it seemed like destiny...hee hee!!
Metal jug, glass jar, old fashioned milk bottle (this brought back some memories, it seems like a world away when we lived at home and had milk delivered), and small glass bottle all 50p each.
I'm afraid I was not as successful as the last two weeks in my quest for wedding props and felt a little disappointed but the below purchase more than made up for it. I have been searching for a cupboard to fit in a space in my kitchen for months. I saw the below 1950's cupboard and fell for its retro charm immediately. However I was convinced it would not fit as it was a few centimetres wider than the space I had measured. When Miss J enquired of the price (£15) she talked me into buying it as it was such a steal and she has seen 1950's cabinets like these go for much more on Ebay and so I purchased it from the very kind seller. She was right of course and it just fit, after a little struggle Miss J managed to get it into the space for me. As Miss J will attest I am a little useless when it comes to moving heavy things. Unfortunately when getting it in the car a piece of the glass top broke off. Then another getting it into the flat and finally I removed the last piece. I had not been that keen on the top of it so didn't really mind. I decided to sand it off and paint it white to match the rest and afterwards realised a large bread board I had would be an almost perfect fit to lay on top of my newly refurbished cupboard. I am very happy with the final result and look at the pretty pale pink interior.

Before:
After:

Bought by: Miss R

Sunday 25 April 2010

Archive - We heart ribbon...

Bought for 50p by Miss J, looking forward to wrapping up pressies for my friends and family with this!

Archive - Portable Picnic Gramophone...

I bought this picnic gramophone back in February for £45.  I had hoped to find one a bit cheaper but then did some research on ebay and realised I had probably done ok.  It needs servicing though and I met a lovely man when Miss R took me to an antiques fair a few weeks ago who services gramophones so I am looking forward to listening to old 78's in the park in the summer on it.  

The sheet music books I bought for £5 for 6.  I am not musical at all so I won't be using them for what they are originally meant for.  I am going to music paper cover a chair in them in a kind of papier mache style.  I will post photos of the results when I have a few spare hours to get creative!  I have been wanting to do this for years but got reminded of how cool it could look when I saw designer Kyle Bean's 2009 Christmas windows for Hermes.  Click the below link to see what I mean - AMAZING!

http://www.kylebean.co.uk/portfolio/#hermesukchristmas2009

Bought by: Miss J

Saturday 24th April...

Miss R and myself have really caught the car boot bug and look forward to our Saturday morning adventures together. This week purchases started slowly and we both seemed a little disappointed by what our first car boot of the day had to offer.  We decided to get two in before I went home to work on her wedding dress toile and Miss R on her new illustrations.  Half way round the second giant car boot we visit, I was totally flagging.  4 hours sleep and several large glasses of Sauvignon Blanc the night before were taking there toll!  Thank goodness Miss R was more on the ball than I was.  I think I probably bought one of the most bargainous pieces of furniture we have ever found at the car boot.  Well I say I, it was Miss R's eagle eye that spotted the cabinet below.  The man on the stall was pure old school Londoner, a real character.  He asked what I was looking to pay for the display cabinet and I said well what would you like for it, he answered £5 and I was like SOLD!!!!  He even carried it to the car park for me which was a total trek and stood with me chatting away whilst Miss R went off to get her car.  What a true gent.  All of that for £5 - now that is what I call service with a smile!  These cabinets were originally meant to display crockery and kitchenalia I think but I am using it for my ever expanding shoe collection.  I always feel shoes are too fabulous to hide away in shoe boxes but get dusty if just left out on shelves or around your boudoir so this cabinet is the perfect solution!

Cabinet - used to house some of my shoe collection (I heart Vivienne Westwood!) £5

Regular readers of our blog will know I love Miss Monroe so I was very happy when I found this rare print, which I have taken out of the Ikea frame and will get a mount and frame made for soon.   I had not seen this image before in poster form but as it shows Marilyn dabbing Chanel No.5 on her neck (two of my favourite things in one photo?)  I had to have it! The seller was asking £15, I offered £10 and we met kind of in the middle and I paid £12. 

Addition to the blue and white 'Asiatic Pheasant' design china I seem to be collecting - platter £5 and plate 50p.  This design was very popular in 19th Century Victorian England and Miss R and I together have started a blossoming collection.

Additions to my French novel collection £1 each

Bought by: Miss J

Tuesday 20 April 2010

Miss J's Archive - Coco we love you...


Vintage Chanel bottles - I collect these and am on a constant quest to find a large Chanel No.5 factice on my travels.  It hasn't happened yet but I live in hope that one day I may discover one at a car boot!  I love how the labels on these four are quite tired and how they work together.

Bought by Miss J for £3

A birthday gift for Miss Moller...

My lovely friend Anna has a thing about orange - she just loves it!  So when I saw these 50's Salter scales with original weighing bowl I just knew I had found the perfect birthday present for her.

Bought by: Miss J

Miss J's Archive - Vintage Top Hat...

Another addition to my dressing up box and something I have had on my wish list for ages.  This black top hat is in superb vintage condition and came with the original box which has some really lovely markings on it.  I cannot wait to rock it!

Bought by Miss J for £45

Monday 19 April 2010

Bargainous Burberry Trench...

I have been after a classic Burberry trench for years and browse ebay every so often in the hope of finding one for the right price.  It's a wardrobe classic but I could never afford a brand new one.  Anyway guess how much this little baby was? .....................................................Given up yet? £5!  I was so happy, I did not even try it on, just paid the lady and went on my way.  I thought if it didn't fit I could always sell it or give it to someone.  Well, it's as if it was made for me, nice and fitted with cropped bracelet length sleeves.  Oh the joys of the car boot!

Bought by: Miss J

Miss J's archive...

Vintage sweetie jars from 50p - £2 each - absolute steals!  Cannot wait to fill with something naugthy. Glass cake stands £4 - £5 each.  Tiffany green 1950's Salter scales from my debut trip to this amazing antique fair that Miss R took me to last week, £15, I dream of a kitchen in this colour filled with all sorts of curiosities discovered at car boots.
My new favourite colour: pale blue + my love of vintage china = exquisite tea set £10
Plates £1 each


Babycham glasses £2 - a gift for my friend Siouxsie

Bought by: Miss J

Saturday 17th & Sunday 18th April...


Here are my treasures from this weekends sunshine filled Bootcar adventures. I got to three car boot sales in total, I was very happy! Okay here goes..... Large cream platter (£2), beautifully intricate pale blue and cream platter (£2) you will see in the next close up photos that the pattern on the plate is so pretty, ribbons and pearls...I love it. Small tea pot (30p), small white porcelain jug (20p), large glass jar (£1), small round glass jar (20p), cut glass vase (20p), 2 x glass candle holders (50p each), vintage scales (£2), iron bucket (50p) and finally large glass jug 20p. I was very lucky and got such bargains this week...hooray!
I was drawn to this book because of the beautiful colour pairing. Pale blue and red... Miss J and I are loving this colour combination at the moment. Then of course when I saw the title I had to have it. It was found on the stall of a trader that Miss J has become friendly with so as usual I sent her to enquire the price....she is my lucky charm, all the traders seem to take a shine to her. The lovely man said it was a gift.... Miss J blushed and I was very happy.
I have not seen scales like this before, loved the colour and how worn they are, now I just have to find a bowl on my travels to fit on top.
The larger jar when bought was housing an extremely 'vintage' dried flower arrangement complete with very old sellotape all around the top, after a good wash it has come up like new. Sorry I had meant to take a before shot but got carried away when I got home and washed everything before I had photograhed it...ooops! I plan to fill these jars with sweeties or lollies.

Bought by: Miss R

Thursday 15 April 2010

Bottle collection...

Last weeks booty...


Sorry for the group shot...vintage Mrs Beetons cook book (£3), two glass cake stands (£1.50+£2), two vintage tea pots I plan to use as vases(£2.50 each), a jug for 20p again a lovely vase I think, two pretty glass carafes(£1 each), one with matching glass, two glass domes (£1 each, I was very pleased with these! You can never have enough glass domes I say!!), a beautiful porcelain potty I plan to put a plant in (£2), Good breakfasts book (£1), cream and black spotty make up case (£2) and a partridge in a peartree.

Bought by: Miss R

Beautiful blooms...

Just had to post a picture of these gorgeous flowers I received as a thank you surprise a few weeks ago. They are from Scarlet & Violet in Kensal Rise. I highly recommend!
http://www.scarletandviolet.com/

....sorry, sorry, we have been away from the blog for far too long( sorry Paul!!). Life has been very hectic in Bijouxland, we are in the midst of planning and making Miss R's wedding this July so apologies now if our posts are sporadic and brief until then. xx