Sooooooo Vintage Daaaaaaahling

Those of you who know me, know that I find it extreemely difficult to throw anything away. My loft is bulging with things "that might just come in handy". My friends joke "if you need something, anything, - Annie probably has it".


Anyway, I ventured up there the other day and opened a few bags and boxes. One box was full of odd napkins. Vintage, embroidered ones. I can't bear to part with them because they are so pretty, but as napkins they are of no use at all (other than for the lone diner!).


I had bought a load of recycled paper notebooks a while back and had been wondering what to cover them with, to pretty them up and UPCYCLE!

So heres a picture of one I've listed in my shop on Folksy (Just in case you can't live without it!)
See it here at http://www.folksy.com/shops/AnnieFloribunda

Don't be a waster!

If ever I write a book, it will be about upcycling/recycling crafts and I'll probably dedicate it to the rag picker children of Mumbai. These children pick through rubbish to recycle... and get paid just £1 a day. The recycling slums. The REAL Slumdog Millionaire. Where families live on the street, 10 to a room or actually on the the rubbish tip, ankle deep in sewerage and rats. People recycling EVERYTHING to make a bit of money just to stay alive. I probably waste enough "stuff" each day, to feed a family in Mumbai - paper, bottles, packaging, etc... so, maybe I will write that book, perhaps some of the proceeds could go to help people in Mumbai. I'll store it in the "future projects" file for now!
With this ub mind if I make one new years resolution it will be "Not to be a waster". This is very bad news for Mr H. It means that more of the loft space will be taken up with boxes, bottles, fabric, beads, buttons, paper, card, paint.............etc! He is already convinced that I am the love child of a Womble...and now it's going to get worse!
I've started already! Making something wonderful from an empty soap powder box and the inner wadding from my old ironing cover...
First, I cut and stuck it into the shape I wanted it to be.

Then I glued the ironing board wadding to the lid of my box and covered the box in some pretty "Sewing" themed fabric I had.

Now I need to carry on with it so I can show you finished product!

Make a Smilebox slideshow

HAPPY CUPCAKE CHRISTMAS!

The garden looks so beautiful in the snow and when I ventured outside to take a look, I thought that the way the snow had fallen on one of the plant pots, made it look like a giant cupcake! So I quickly got to work to make a tea cup and saucer to go with it! Hope you like it! Who knows, if we have more snow, I may even get round to making a teapot!

I'm nearly famous!

Well. when I say famous I mean that I am mentioned in IndieSmiles.com feature on folksy!

http://indiesmiles.com

Wahoooo!

Sue Ryder / Folksy- recycling competition

Well the competition is now over - congratulations to all the winners! I LOVE the zip earrings... Take a look at the link below to see the other entries. http://blog.folksy.com/2009/12/7/upcycle-christmas-winners
They are now all for sale on Ebay to raise some money for Sue Ryder - so please visit ebay and type "sueryder" in the search button. There is some great stuff on here which would make excellent Christmas presents - all handmade, AND you would be helping a charity at the same time.
I am rubbish at adding links to blogs so I've linked to "Cuteables" site (who featured one of my items :-) BIG THANKS!) as they are soooooo much better at it than me!! http://www.cuteable.com/

HA, HA! FOUND THE POSTERISING BUTTON ON MY COMPUTER TODAY!

So here we all are me, hubby and baby Harry Grimwood.

Sunday treasures!

Boot salin' this morning - bought a lovely, chunky, farmers wifey basket, galvanised steel and bamboo watering can, Linda Barker "doing up junk" book, black and white fabric and a mohair shawl which I am going to felt.

French, Vintage and Gorgeous!

French, vintage, and gorgousness(!) - all things I love and all combined in some beautiful old Parisian Fashion Magazines from the 1930's, that i recently took possession of - soooooo elegant. No one does it quite like the French do.

I used some of the advertisements from the back pages to cover a pocket notebook - it's now in my Folksy shop if you cant live without it! http://www.folksy.com/shops/AnnieFloribunda

Folksy :: AnnieFloribunda

Folksy :: AnnieFloribunda: http://anniefloribunda.blogspot.com/

Inspired by a day in the garden - I decoupaged some small plain notebooks and made them into Gardeners pocket books. I used vintage seed packs on the top one and garden twine on the other. If you cant live without them, visit my Folksy shop where they are for sale.

Folksy :: AnnieFloribunda

Folksy :: AnnieFloribunda

Took possession of the FAB vintage sewing machine today! Had to drive 56miles to collect it but it was worth it... and we had to stop in Stamford for lunch (really worth it!). Beautiful market town where the BBC filmed Pride and Prejudice. Mmmmm loverrrrrrrly hand made truffles and the best Latte I have ever tasted! Then we had to stop for cream tea on the way home... it's a hard life!
Sooooooo... watch this space for wonderful, nonsensical,whimsical creations from the Seigfried the Singer sewing machine!

Sew naughty!

I have been very bad today. I have spent £25 on a vintage Singer sewing machine. £25 that I don't have!

But, I tell myself, once I take possession of it - I shall be sewing and sewing, selling and selling

- and it will more than pay for itself. That's alright then...

Reino de España

Yes, am feeling a bit of a Spanish theme going on in my head at the mo. Getting some Latin inspiration for a new project.

Probably due to a visit from an old friend yesterday and her new Cuban husband.

Oh...and also the fact that the weather has been wonderful lately and I have been playing Gypsy Kings constantly (much to the annoyance of my husband)!

Harry (the dog) has also been enjoying the good weather and joining in with the Gypsy theme!

Japanese - Matryoshka Dolls Fabric

OK, I gave in - and bought some from Folksy.com ! But only after I'd sold a few pieces from my own fabric stash to pay for it. Don't feel so bad splashing out on it now. Am going to make small lavender dolls and brooches from it when it arrives. Can't wait!

I LOVE free stuff!

As it was a bit gloomy earlier, I spent some time searching the web for some free craft stuff and found these great sites:

For free patterns/templates etc visit http://www.clothdollpatterns.com/

For vintage clip art, postcards, advertising etc go to http://vintageholidaycrafts.com/free-vintage-clipart

My latest makes are (more) brooches! See the pics... and if you really can't live without them - you can always buy one from my shop on folksy.com ( http://www.folksy.com/shops/anniefloribunda )

I am STILL buying buttons and am pretty peeved that one lovely lot seems to have dissapeared into the black hole that is within Royal Mail...hopefully they'll turn up eventually!

Found a use for those buttons!

Spent another glorious day in the garden today, with Harry, boiling his brains in the midday sun. (at least I sat in the shade and had sunscreen on!).

Had fun making button flower brooches (to see how to make your own design go to my folksy page at http://www.folksy.com/shops/anniefloribunda) - Oh, and I made clay and paper beads, (and some other things that I am not quite sure what they are yet)!

Wish I could STOP buying buttons!

OK - its been tough - but some of my vintage buttons, beads, etc just have to go - they are overtaking the house and I will never get around to using them all!

I am listing them on Folksy.com (a great new site I've found - if you like crafts - you will LOVE this!)

Hopefully then they can be recycled again and go towards making something beautiful.

This is Buttons! My first attempt at making something from a pattern I had created myself. I'm really pleased at how he came out - here's a picture of him enjoying the garden with me!

Loving the sunshine!

I have been enjoying making things in my garden lately and have just put them all onto Folksy.com - a great site that encourages individual crafters to share, sell, buy and chat. Take a look at my shop at http://www.folksy.com/shops/anniefloribunda

E A S T E R E G G S

I hand colored some easter eggs for the charity shop windows display and put them in a basket with large chiffon scarf inside. The yellow bow was from a bouquet that I had, containing the most beautiful velvet red roses!

Take a look at the photos - they really are beautiful and so velvety to the touch.