Vintage shoes!

 

When I'm on Etsy and supposed to be listing my stock I often get distracted and go browsing :-) The other day I spotted some gorgeous red leather vintage shoes so I searched for more....
There are some wonderful ones for sale and I want them all!!! I have made them into a treasury so I can get a shoe fix anytime I need one and so can you :-)

Here is the link :

Scarf styling the Liberty way!

This is a delightful video from Liberty which shows a pretty and unique way to wear a scarf in your hair.  I really like this particular idea as it uses a scarf that is a common vintage size and shape and would suit any hairstyle.

I love scarves!

I love scarves, especially vintage silk ones.........They are so useful when the weather is a bit iffy, you know...... brilliant sunshine one minute, dark rumbling black rain clouds the next.....
I have used my scarf to drape over my shoulders, the front of my chest or back of my neck to protect it from getting sunburnt when I have forgotten to apply sunscreen....I often feel the benefit of it round my neck, tucked into my cardi or coat when things have turned chilly and drafty......I have used it properly as a headscarf 1950's style when it has suddenly rained and both of my umbrellas are in the car which is a mile away and yes, I know I may have looked like Princess Anne but at the time I didn't care :-)
I would like to use it to tie up my hair but although my hair is long it just hasn't got the umphh and va va voom in it to give it that fashionable mussed up style that looks great with a pretty scarf holding it all together.....Don't need a scarf for any of the above? Then just tie it to your handbag or thread it through the belt loops of your jeans.......

Feel inspired???.......Here are the latest additions to the website :-)

 

Finished!

Well....I finally finished the little aran cardigan I was knitting a couple of weeks ago.  Thankfully it was during the wintery cold wet weather so I know it has been worn :-)
I'm quite pleased with how it turmed out, the pattern worked out well and both sides matched which is a bonus! The worst bit for me is the sewing....Generally I quite like sewing but for some strange reason I really loathe sewing up knitted garments.......I think that the knitting bug has gone away now for a little while so no more projects for now!

Bank Holiday Sale!

BANK HOLIDAY SALE now on!
Click on the link to go to my Etsy shop where everything has just been discounted.....
http://www.etsy.com/shop/vintagejewelbox

All the website stock now has 10% off too :-) Take a look if you have had your eye on something........
www.vintagejewelbox.co.uk.
PLEASE NOTE : With the website the 10% discount will be refunded to your account via Paypal once you have completed checkout and your order is confirmed. Unfortunately it isn't possible for me to apply it directly to the prices on the site.


BOTH SALES end 11pm GMT Tuesday 8th May.
FREE shipping in the UK.....Overseas buyers please note the discount applies to the item price only, not the shipping costs.

Any questions feel free to ask :-)

Vintage Liberty silk scarves on trend for this season!

Over Easter I have added some lovely vintage Liberty of London pure silk scarves to the website..........
Liberty scarves are always nice quality silk and the variety of designs never ceases to amaze me as I am always seeing one I haven't had before!  They range from the traditional floral and paisley designs associated with Liberty textiles to fabulous pictorial, commemorative and geometric prints.
Buying a vintage Liberty scarf represents very good value for money.........New they retail for around £100 and upwards, the ones I sell on the site range from £26 to approx £65 depending on size and condition.

I always handwash and press my scarves before selling them and will point out any obvious flaws and grade them either 'GOOD' 'VERY GOOD' OR 'EXCELLENT' All are wearable as I won't buy anything I wouldn't use myself so any flaws are very minor :-)

The brightly coloured one above is a perfect example of how vintage can blend with the current fashion trends....This seasons bold florals in bright colours make this scarf completely on trend and it is much easier to wear for most of us than say a dress in a similar print.

I haven't managed to do justice to the scarf above with my photography as the delicate soft pink, blue and lavender colourway and design have lost there impact somewhat....It is much prettier in reality than my pictures show and again links with the other trend for this season 'Pastels'  It would look lovely casually tied at the neck with a soft pink or blue mac!

Tootally vintage!

My Tootal scarf stock on the website has got very low, mostly due to the weather in the last couple of months.  It is hard to handwash things and get them dried on the line in winter as the days are so short and if the sun appears isn't very warm or long lasting.
Last week, I finally managed to get round to washing some of the scarves I have waiting in the wings and thought the day was going to be a good one, but as soon as it was time to put them on the washing line, the sun had gone in for the day :-(

I persevered with them all day but to get them really dry had to resort to the airer in the utility room to finish them off!
Anyway, they are now ironed and looking 'Tootally vintage' I love to see them all clean and pressed, in a nice little stack...... Now,  I must get cracking and get them listed on the site!

A little knitting project!

I used to knit......A lot!
Over the last few years I have scarcely picked up the needles except to knit for my two nephews when they were babies and who are now 13 and 15....shows how long ago I am talking about :-)

Then my friend Jenny (who I stand with at the Nec) became a grandmother in 2010 and I when Alice was born I made her a sweet little cardi in a vintage pink.  I really enjoyed doing it as I found it gave me some clear headspace away from various worries and although I love what I do most of the time, it can become all consuming so it was nice that it wasn't anything to do with work.  I took the needles out again last summer when my other friends daughter had her second baby and was thrilled with how delighted she was with the little cardi and bootees I had knitted.

Things in my personal life have been quite difficult since then, so I decided it was time for another knitting project as a bit of therapy to help clear my head for a hour or so a day :-)
Aran knitting was always my favourite of all as it grows fast and keeps me concentrating enough not to get bored.  I don't mind a bit of stocking stitch but my mind wanders all over the place and I get that I look forward to casting off!
I have chosen a traditional aran pattern for a little boy and have got on quite well as I have finished the back now.

 

Initially though all was not well,  I had to take it back to the ribbing twice as I went completely wrong!!!
I was just being blase because years ago I could rattle off an aran in no time, but I was really out of practice after years of being in the knitting desert and needed to get back into the right mode.  Needless to say once I sat down for long enough and quietly concentrated for the first couple of inches it was like riding a bike.......you don't actually lose the skill, you just go a bit wobbly at first :-)

I am now on the sleeves and for the first time ever I am knitting two sleeves on one pair of needles.  A friend of my Mums used to knit for a shop years ago and I remember seeing her doing both sleeves at once but never tried it.  Well........ it's brilliant!

I have nearly finished them and it will be great that when I cast off, two of them are done :-)
I am now thinking I may attempt the two fronts on one needle!

I'll keep you posted :-)

Birmingham heritage sites

 

This week we have been on a trip back in time visiting two of Birmingham's fabulous heritage sites.....The Birmingham back to backs and the Museum of Jewellery in the famous Jewellery Quarter.

The Museum of Jewellery is mainly housed in an old jewellery manufacturers Smith and Pepper that closed in 1981 and was left untouched in its entirety until Birmingham council opened it as a museum.  The family firm had run it in a traditional labour intensive way untouched by modern production methods and technology so what you see is pretty well how it would have been during the Victorian era........Fascinating!

The Back to Backs are an amazing survival of a courtyard of working class terrace houses that were built in 1840.  They tell a personal story of the people and families that lived and worked there through the decades from when they were built until 1974.....Wonderful atmospheric, accessible social history.

I love reading about social history but it is so much more interesting and easier to connect with when you can see and hear how people lived their day to day lives.....We really enjoyed visiting both of these heritage sites and thought that they managed to give you a real insight to the past.

Flapper fabulous!

I love the Flapper era of the 1920's... just everything about it....the clothes, shoes and jewellery are an instant thing but I also really like the art from the period, especially graphic art like advertising posters and packaging. 
A pair of my earrings has been featured in an Etsy treasury by Sara and I love everything in it, it combines fashion with art, perfect for me :-)

Just a thought having done that link, wouldn't it be lovely if we could make Etsy mini's of treasuries either from the treasury page or from our treasury favourites page???  I know you can make one of your favourite items and for your shop but it would be wonderful to be able to share some of the beautifully curated treasuries....
Does anyone know if you can do that?

P.S. I have resolved the making a 'mini' problem by usung a widget from Craftcult :-)

NB : The deco brooch pictured is also featured in the treasury and is for sale by etsy seller eakerhouse.

New vintage stock for January

I have been adding lots of new vintage stock to the website and to my Etsy shop, here are a few pics of what has just been uploaded.






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