Distressed...

A charming trio of watercolours depicting early 19th century hunting capers..... slightly battered and worn, but just how I like it.

Standing in front of two hand painted 19th century long case clock faces..... with shooting scenes above the dial.... also battered, worn and pitted with rust.

I think they all work well together and will probably have to stay at Chez Cloth Shed.....but where to put them?

Alongside the old American box perhaps?

I have also been fiddling with a large wooden initial O, painted and distressed, a metal leaf heart and a lavender filled heart with a faded crown printed onto a piece of old French linen.

Now hung on a wall in the bedroom....

I must admit it is getting me in a slightly festive mood......

Now, where are my Tesco crown lights?

Have a lovely week.....

Julie x

Hive of industry...,..

Hive of industry today at The Cloth Shed...painting furniture in my favourite F and B colours.... grey, grey and more grey.....

Upholstering 19th century mahogany chairs and making cushions from Kate Forman fabric with feather pads...

A French linen toile in green and cream is backed with vintage French ticking stripe....

Mixed together with more sparkly pressed glass cake stands, dishes, glasses, silver plate cutlery, large, white vintage serving plates for the Christmas table and I am all set for this weekends   Christmas Fair at Hexham

I have also been busy with more planted bulbs in containers....

 Love this large urn with white hyacinths ready to explode with gorgeous scent in a few weeks time...

Mmm...looks quite nice there......I wonder if it will get a price tag?

Julie x

Time traveller....

As you all probably know by now, I seem to be drawn to old boxes.....the more battered and with a history the better.

This dome topped leather box with studs.....I .W. on the top.... jumped out at an Antique Fair a few weeks ago shouting.... "rescue me!"

Water damaged, with peeling leather....

Original block print paper interior.....

And the maker or supplier's label still intact....

Seth Craige
Saddler and Bridle Cutter

The description of how to find the shop is wonderful....

" On the south side of Market Street, half way between Third and Fourth Streets and nearly opposite the King of Prussia Tavern, Philadelphia 1790 "

So with the help of good old Google, I found Seth Craige....

And the position of his shop on an old map of Philadelphia.....

 

The question is...how did this 18th century box get from Philadelphia, USA to Northumberland UK ? 

By covered wagon ?

By stagecoach ?

By sailing ship ?

 and what

adventures did it have along the way?

Julie x

Crown lights.....

Not being a great fan of Tesco at all.... I have to admit however.... that these are really quite natty.

Battery operated fairy lights in the shape of crowns....which are going to be ideal for my Fairs over the Christmas period and happily haven't broken the bank either...

I have been sourcing more lovely pressed glass for the Christmas table......

Tiers of cake stands and a lovely Victorian mug with grapes and vine engraving.... the name Mary Alice on the front....most probably a christening cup, but would be lovely as a vase for delicate flowers.

Lots of tiny vintage baking tins now in use as tea light holders........

White hyacinths in white containers....

A lovely set of 6 white napkins with initials and EPNS napkin rings....

And for a splash of subtle colour....I have been dyeing vintage tablecloths and napkins in an assortment of pretty colours....

Lovely lavender, cornflower blue, grey, indigo.....

The first "Christmas " Fair is this weekend at New College, Durham...Saturday 12th and Sunday 13th November...open 10am to 4pm daily.

I am really looking forward to it and also meeting up with the lovely Helen from Busy Bee Studio again and seeing what gorgeous goodies she has found. 

I think I might have to buy her a box of crown lights for her stand too....they are just her kind of thing!

Hope you all have a great weekend whatever you are doing....

Julie x

Paris report....

We were greeted by sun shining on the top of the Opera House when we arrived in Paris and this little old pug sitting patiently on the pavement waiting for its trip home.
Madame was busy sorting her transport out...then off they went, her on the bike cutting a dash in her white pants and boots, little pug inside the bag.

I wonder how many years have they been doing the same routine?

A boat trip the next day (as promised for my Mum) was a great way to see the sights of Paris....

Lots of bridges....

Ile de la Cite and Notre Dame Cathedral....

Old department store, La Samaritaine, soon to have a new lease of life as a hotel/apartments/offices.

Then it started to rain....

No umberellas or waterproof coats with us of course, so with rain lashing down, we thought a trip underground to visit the Paris Sewers ("Les Egouts de Paris") nearby would be a smart move....nice and warm and dry...

My goodness...warm, dry but not exactly fragrant!

I'm sure you can imagine the smelI...... probably made worse by the storm water off the roads agitating the effluent...

A fascinating insight into what happens below the streets, but I take my hat off to the sewermen who work the 2,000m of tunnels with these little critters for company.....

Onwards to Notre Dame with purchases of cheap unberellas that turned inside out at the slightest breeze..

With its fabulous Treasury of Reliquaries.....

Oh to find some of these on my travels..... not sure about the bones in the caskets though...

The Pantheon  next day was spectacular with its grand dome and portico....surrounded by beautiful buildings in the Latin Quarter,

 

Inside, the wonderful domed ceiling,

And the amazing Foucault's pendulum which was installed in the mid 19th century to demonstrate the rotation of the Earth...quite mesmerizing with its steady back and forth motion suspended on a thin wire from the "eye" of the dome.

The Crypt was equally fascinating....

Housing the final resting places of famous men and women...Voltaire, Rousseau, Victor Hugo, Pierre and Marie Curie etc.

Once again another jam packed few days in Paris....blisters for Mum unfortunately, but lovely memories too for Grandma and Granddaughter....

Julie x