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Meanwhile, over at The Packhouse…

18 May

I know the Create Vintage blog has been a bit quiet recently, but I’ve been contributing to The Packhouse website every now and again in my role as guest blogger. You can check in on me over there at www.packhouse.com, and here is a link to my latest post… {click here} It’s all about that favourite subject of mine – car booting! Yes, it’s car boot season, and already this year I’ve bagged some magnificent bargains, including some more genuine, vintage pharmacy bottles.

Vintage pharmacy bottles

Vintage pharmacy bottles

Meanwhile, my little space at The Packhouse is ticking along. A while ago I commissioned some exclusive, limited edition prints, designed by the beautiful Becky Thurston at Bee Loves Tea Creations. It’s a fine line between words that are motivational or meaningful and those that are just stomach-churningly corny. I thought long and hard about which I wanted to share, and then Becky brought them to life in our very first collection!

Limited edition prints at The Packhouse

We’ve got some more ideas in the pipeline, and maybe a few other little creative tricks for the future up our sleeves too!

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In praise of pink

27 Jan

So here we are in 2015!

And in case you were wondering, Pantone – the connoisseurs of all things ‘colour’ – have decreed that the shade we should all be craving this year is marsala; a full-bodied mix of rich red with a hint of earthy brown.

Marsala: Pantone Colour of the Year 2015 {pantone.co.uk}

Marsala: Pantone Colour of the Year 2015 {pantone.co.uk}

 

Of course, ‘vintage’ avoids such frivolous things as fashion. Like eternal style, its appeal is classic and unmistakable. I do think our relationship with it evolves though, and how we mix those elements in with modern environments is what keeps it fresh. Nobody wants their living room to look like a museum {do they…?} but a nod to the new keeps ‘the old’ more alive and relevant than ever.

My love affair with vintage embraces all its idiosyncrasies, and all its glorious imperfections. But above all else, I will always be swept away by that enduringly pretty, perfectly aged palette of pastel pinks, blues, greens and yellows.

This January, it’s been all about the pinks for me. And I’d like to think the fashionable people at Pantone would approve of how some old classics have transitioned seamlessly into the modern world and become bang on trend. Here’s a look at some of my pink discoveries, currently for sale – or just sold – at The Packhouse…

 

 

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The art of food photography {and why a good plate matters}

21 Oct

I spend quite a lot of my professional life with people whose job it is to make food look fabulous on a plate. The ones who photograph it, the ones who cook and carefully arrange it, and the ones who make the sets look pretty. They all work together to compose incredible images.

I could never have imagined how much thought and consideration goes into each shot. Ever stopped to admire that pretty little salt cellar, or that casually folded napkin? These are the details that set the scene, and allow the food to shine. {Read about the role of a prop stylist here}.

There is no doubt that a well-chosen ‘prop’ can make the difference between a so-so and sensational shot. And it’s no coincidence that most of the time, you’ll find the piece that brings that understated beauty is vintage. It’s why I can’t resist a distinguished, decorated platter, or walk past a beaten-up box of old cutlery. While I may not be lining them up for a starring role in a photo shoot, I still think you can bring that beauty into your home, and make your own meals look that bit more marvellous.

Guaranteed to make your food look gorgeous every time, blue platters are big news in the styling world at the moment. Here’s a selection of plates and platters I’ve recently put into The Packhouse.

The blue and white trend has even made it onto the catwalk…

A Julien Macdonald design for this year's fashion week

A Julien Macdonald design for this year’s fashion week

For me, when given the choice between a modern, mass-produced item and one with the charm of true history, I know which I’d want in my life every time. Take these teapots as an example. {What would you do…?}

Brand new or bags of vintage charm? You decide.

Brand new or bags of vintage charm? You decide.

And finally, as with all my pieces on sale at The Packhouse, I only ever buy what I truly love. My ‘blues’ will soon be replaced with a rather gorgeous and sparkly Christmas theme, but for now here are some shots of how the collection has come together and evolved over the past few weeks…

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So long summer

25 Aug

It has truly been a beautiful summer. With the onset of the Bank Holiday rain I suppose I’m going to have to surrender to the fact that it’s not long till we’re back in our socks, and shutting the curtains before teatime. For us, the summer has been filled with many precious memories, and there’s just one more getaway before the biggest adventure of all {big school} starts.

Too many highlights to mention, but from pony riding and kite flying, beach combing, pool parties and roller-coasting to dinghies, caravans, veggie picking, sun-drenched suppers and boozy barbecues I’m struggling to think how we fitted it all in.

pony ride

Beer

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As if that wasn’t enough – there was five weeks of bringing Christmas to life in a sweaty west London photo studio {July is always inextricably linked to turkeys in my world}…

Christmas food shoot - photography Martin Poole {assisted by Faith Mason}; food styling Kim Morphew; styling Rachel Jukes

Christmas food shoot – photography Martin Poole {assisted by Faith Mason}; food styling Kim Morphew; styling Rachel Jukes

 

And of course, in amongst all of that, I’ve been keeping things ticking over at my lovely pitch at The Packhouse. Towards the longer, lazy days of summer, the theme was ‘florals’… teacups, teapots, cake plates, over-sized pitchers, careworn pictures and pretty pots for flower displays…

 

During my summer travels, the bargain hunting didn’t stop, and I even managed to discover a gorgeous tea trolley – the perfect transport for tea and cake, and a perfectly timed purchase for the start of The Great British Bake Off!

Vintage solid teak tea trolley with detachable rose-design tray

Vintage solid teak tea trolley with detachable rose-design tray

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Treasure hunting

21 May

There’s nothing like a deadline to galvanise you into action. In less than a month I will be selling my stock in brand new {super-smart} premises. The pressure is very much ON.

Buying and selling vintage is not like browsing a catalogue and placing an order. You can’t visit a showroom and choose a job lot of stock. There is no ‘wholesale’ option. Rather, the process depends purely and simply on chance, and a bit of good fortune. Not only that, but, ‘the value of vintage is on the rise’ according to The Sunday Times Style {18 May 2014}. Which means it’s getting harder to come by. See what I mean about pressure?

Luckily, the buying crusade got off to a dazzling start this weekend. I visited one of my favourite un-tapped locations. Wall-to-wall vintage, with some truly outstanding gems, it wasn’t just the sun that was shining at the end of the day. With the car loaded to the brim full of magnificent buys I felt more than a little relieved that we’d be in business for opening day.

Highlights included….

A wash of pale green and blue vintage ironstone to add to the existing collection. I love their thick, rounded edges, pure pastel colours and simple, timeless silhouettes.

An assortment of vintage blue and green ironstone crockery

An assortment of vintage blue and green ironstone crockery

These vintage Dutch bulb crates were originally used for storing and transporting bulbs in the famous horticultural area around the south-west of Amsterdam. With solid wood construction and a metal mesh base {essential for allowing air to circulate around the bulbs and prevent them rotting}, they are stackable and versatile. Each one is entirely unique, stenciled with the grower’s name, and with their own little bit of history attached. Up-end them and you have a ready-made memo board. On their own they’re a genuinely beautiful storage option.

Vintage Dutch bulb crates

Vintage Dutch bulb crates

10 green bottles. Well, several. At least. Almost everyone who sells these bottles seems to be fanatical about finding them. I love hearing their stories. They scour old municipal dumps, fields and beaches to dig them out – that’s commitment. My last good find was a haul of apothecary bottles, this outing seemed to turn up sauce and condiment bottles instead. As with all good, collectable vintage, they’re becoming scarce.

Vintage glass apothecary and condiment bottles

Vintage glass apothecary and condiment bottles

Vintage {quite possibly antique} hinged gentlemen’s shoe lasts inscribed with ‘Faulkner & Son, London & Cambridge’. How classy would these be as a Father’s Day gift?

Faulkner & Son, London & Cambridge, vintage hinged Shoe Lasts

Faulkner & Son, London & Cambridge, vintage hinged Shoe Lasts

An assortment of filthy, but fabulous, vintage cutlery. A bit of a scrub and they’ll be good as {in fact, make that better than} new.

Assorted vintage cutlery

Assorted vintage cutlery

A variety of pretty, patterned blue and white platters. What every lovingly-made supper dreams of being served up on!

 

Blue and white platters including 2 Adderley Bone China 'Blue Chelsea' cake plates

Blue and white platters including 2 Adderley Bone China ‘Blue Chelsea’ cake plates

And a final bit of sunshine. Yellow makes an occasional appearance in my collections, and these sunny finds seemed just about right for the start of summer.

yellow jug

Johnson Bros. ‘Pareek’ milk jug

Vintage Art Deco style yellow coffee pot

Vintage Art Deco style yellow coffee pot

There was more, but I’ll save it for another day. See you soon…

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Memory lane

23 Apr

Nostalgia, I suppose, is an occupational hazard for anyone in the ‘vintage’ game. A by-product of loving old stuff. But, funnily enough, my nostalgia has been prompted recently not so much by things from my distant past, but by things from the more recent present. You could call it stuff that I have loved and then lost. Intentionally lost, of course, or {more accurately} sold. But even so, I have discovered that it’s possible to miss things that were never part of your life anyway.

When I set out to find beautiful vintage things, the prerequisite is always, always, always that I love them enough to own myself. ‘It’ has to have enough of a pull to make me think that if I didn’t sell it, I would happily live with it. And so it is that I have been reminiscing about some of the more remarkable finds, wondering where they have ended up, and who is loving them now.

Some favourites that have found their way to another new life feature here…

Create Vintage discoveries

Create Vintage discoveries

And finally, beauty can be found in many places, and one unexpected treasure I came across lurking at the back of our garden shed last week was this decaying pair of scissors. So functional, and borderline brutal in their proportions, but somehow full of symmetry and rusty charm.

scissors

Rusty scissors

 

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It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas

17 Dec

Traditionally the season to bring out your ‘best’, I’ve amassed quite a collection of beautifully festive vintage bits and pieces recently. No reason why they’re not adorable for any time of year, of course, but particularly suited to an extra special Christmas table. Here’s a selection…

Paragon China Bride's Choice Teapot

Paragon China Bride’s Choice Teapot

F. W. & Co (F Winkle & Co Ltd) 'Florence' platter

F. W. & Co (F Winkle & Co Ltd) ‘Florence’ platter

Soho Pottery Ltd Solian Ware serving terrine

Soho Pottery Ltd Solian Ware serving terrine

Royal Albert Bone China teacups

Royal Albert Bone China teacups

Royal Albert Bone China tea plates

Royal Albert Bone China tea plates

teaspoons

Assorted vintage cutlery

Assorted vintage cutlery

vintage forks

sugar shaker 2

Beautiful vintage sugar shaker

Beautiful vintage salt/sugar cellar

Beautiful vintage salt/sugar cellar

Pretty fluted pressed glass cake stand

Pretty fluted pressed glass cake stand

Pressed glass cream jug

Pressed glass cream jug

Pressed glass water pitcher

Pressed glass water pitcher

Vintage cut glass cake plate

Vintage cut glass cake plate

 

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Pink Christmas

12 Dec
Vintage baubles

Vintage baubles

Christmas – the one time of year where vintage enters almost everyone’s life. Whether it’s your treasured tree-topping fairy, or a handmade childhood decoration, those Christmas details that make an appearance year-after-year-after-year are the ones we love the most.

I discovered a new treasure for the collection this year… A set of vintage pink baubles in their own endearingly aged box. Camp, and gloriously Christmassy!

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From the sublime to the ridiculous

14 Oct

Thought I’d share a few snaps from last Saturday’s outing to the Harvest Craft Fair at The Herb Farm. It was a good chance for me to dust off a few of my Create Vintage finds.

herb farm 1 herb farm 3 herb farm 4

Harvest Fair at The Herb Farm, Sonning Common

Harvest Fair at The Herb Farm, Sonning Common

I had various pale blue pastel pieces, which I always think look really fresh and modern, and relevant. They haven’t lost any hint of their charm despite their years of use, which makes this colour scheme one of my absolute favourites.  Just because something’s old doesn’t mean it has to look old-fashioned.

After a busy day behind the stall, I ventured off to a car boot sale on Sunday morning and discovered some more beautiful things. This Swinnertons jug and Johnson Bros. teapot  in sunny yellow both make me smile. I discovered plenty more, but I’m saving up a few pieces for an exciting project, which I’ll share at a later date.

Swinnertons 'Majestic Vellum' jug

Swinnertons ‘Majestic Vellum’ jug

Johnson Bros. Goldendawn teapot

Johnson Bros. Goldendawn teapot

In the meantime, although I’m usually attracted to pieces which are as relevant today as they ever were, sometimes you just have to go with something that has an absurd beauty. Totally impractical, but utterly gorgeous, I give you these vintage apothecary bottles. Once containing treatments for all manner of ailments from Ringworm {really} to Permanganate of Potash {who knows what grim affliction that treated}, as well as Glauber Salts and Nutritive Pomade For Nourishing and Beautifying the Hair, I simply love them.

An assortment of vintage apothecary bottles

An assortment of vintage apothecary bottles

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Harvest festival

4 Oct

While blogging may have taken a back seat for a month or two, the Create Vintage stocks have been gradually swelling. I managed to sneak a few precious moments of treasure hunting among the holidays and hectic work schedule this summer.

Just as well because I’m busily preparing for a Harvest Fair this weekend. Held by Milly & Jo at The Herb Farm in Sonning Common, it’s a celebration of all things craft, vintage and artisan.

I don’t know whether it was the influence of all the glorious summer heat, but my discoveries have taken on a bit of a French country Brocante feel. I came across some adorable ancient cups and saucers, which set me on the path to a more rustic vibe than usual. There’s something about the beautiful and serene looking slightly bashed and bedraggled that really appeals to me.

Ridgway Pottery teaset for two

Ridgway Pottery teaset for two

 

Brocante assortment ready for the Harvest Craft Fair

Brocante assortment ready for the Harvest Craft Fair

Harvest Craft Fair, Saturday 5th October, 10am-4pm

The Herb Farm, Peppard Road, Sonning Common, Reading, Berks, RG4 9NJ

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