Saturday 20 April 2013

Busy doing nothing...

Okay, so the stairs are still not finished. (Although thankfully we are past the excrement look.) The coffee table/bedroom bench isn't even started. I have been wasting my energy on other things. Like a futile journey to B&Q in Stevenage to collect some skirting boards that I didn't even have the strength to lift, let alone bring home on the train. I thought I had ordered one skirting board. Turns out it was a pack of 4.

The ironing pile is the biggest I've ever seen it.
The sun is shining and I should probably be gardening.

But I'm in need of a little sit down. So I shall distract you from my lack of accomplishments this week by sharing with you some recentish flea market/ car boot sale/ chazzing finds.

First up, this rug...


 Yes, it is wonky and yes, my bedroom skirting boards are half orange. And yes, that chest of drawers is half primed. Come on, concentrate on the rug!

I think it's vintage, and it's sort of hand made. I'll show you a close up...


That bobbliness I think is hand done. I can't remember what it's called...
Anyway, I hoovered it front and back and then washed it in the bath with Woolite. It wasn't really dirty but I'm a clean freak about second hand textiles. It was actually a stupid thing to do as the red colour bled. I spent ages trying to get the red out of the surrounding areas then gave it a rinse of salt water. I think that's meant to lock the colour in...? The rug survived and dried several days later.

At this weeks flea market I found this...


It's a sort of crate with a handle. Perhaps for people who REALLY love crates to carry it around with them rather like a rustic handbag? No?
I'm sure I will find some practical use for it and I'm also sure it will end up with lettering on it.

At last weeks flea market I found this...


a vintage airfix Christmas tree fairy complete with original wings and wand. Because vintage Christmas decs are not just for Christmas.

A set of 6 rusty old hooks...


I'm hoping to keep them rusty and build a cool er, rustic coat hook thingy with them. I just need a new jig saw...

And last of all...


Yes, it's another crate! With a sweet defunct telephone number on the ends...


and a name on the other sides. I have no idea what I will do with this. But I never let that get in the way of buying vintage crates with vintage writing on them. Especially if they are only £3.

Boot sale tomorrow! Happy weekend!

 p.s. It might be called a hand hooked rug.

Linking up with Magpie Monday at Me and My Shadow

and Op shop show off at Blackbird has Spoken




20 comments:

  1. I love all your flea market finds especially the lovely crates. Do report back with the 'after'.
    Even though the sun is out it's still quite chilly, just been mowing lawn and even that didn't warm me up.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Oh that's Tinkerbell - she sat on the top of our artificial tinsel tree every Christmas during my childhood. Mum and dad still have her but sadly she hasn't got the original dress or wings any longer - just something mum fashioned out of a paper doiley many years ago. I must look and see if she is airfix. Love the rug! Jane x

    ReplyDelete
  3. Great finds! I cant resist wooden crates either, but i hardly ever see them here. The rug is amazing, the sort of thing we would have rustled up in the days before telly stole our empty evening hours x

    ReplyDelete
  4. That handled crate is DEFINITELY an old-fashioned boxy handbag. Please do start using it at such. It's ruddy gorgeous, whatever it is :) xx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. For some reason you went into the spam folder! I have rescued your comment! xx

      Delete
  5. Those two crates are fabulous and anyway a girl can never have too many crates! Lovely finds and I have never seen anything like the fairy before xx

    ReplyDelete
  6. Gorgeous rug, it's so pretty, very good condition by the looks too. I too have a crate fetish these are great crates (hahaha)

    Kate x
    Just Pirouette and Carry On...

    ReplyDelete
  7. The rug is lovely, I'm glad it survived its wash. See, it's a bonus to be a total slacker like me and not clean anything! You certainly have an eye for a crate, Emma Kate (which rhymes) and I look forward to seeing what you do with these. And we also had that fairy/angel on top of our Christmas tree when I was little, she must be late 1950s-early 1960s, I reckon. xxxx

    ReplyDelete
  8. You've got some great buys there. Sometimes you need a day off from doing things and I have learned not to feel guilty when I have the odd day doing nothing!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Great finds, especially the fairy-I'd love to find one of those myself. The wooden box looks like it would make a housekeepers box with your dusters polish etc in to carry from room to room.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Hi Emma

    I was very interested to see your fairy find, it's exactly the same as one that I have, it was always on our Christmas tree when I was tiny, and so when my mum decided to replace it, I grabbed it as it always had a magical quality to me as a kid. I have sewn a little bit of silver tinsel around her skirt to refresh her outfit a little, but she still goes on our tree every year, and must be at least 50 years old.

    Judi

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Judi, Isn't it funny that we all want the same decorations we had as youngsters? They are magical aren't they? Maybe because we weren't allowed to play with them? x

      Delete
  11. Is this the flea market at Hitchin?

    How come I never find treasure like that there? Perhaps you're scurrying around in front of me snaffling it up?

    LOVE LOVE LOVE your crates.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes it is. The Friday one. Top tip: there are dealers that drive up every week from London and are there by 7am so it pays to get there early!

      Delete
  12. Great finds I think that wooden box might have been a working mans tool box maybe I might be wrong. I hope you managed to get skirting board and your other jobs done. Have a lovely week, dee xx

    ReplyDelete
  13. A fine haul and I am full of envy for the wooden tool box/caddy ♥

    ReplyDelete
  14. ohh I love the wooden box and the crate I think I need to start thinking about the garden and fill it with vintage finds upcycled intoplant pot type things :) I have joined in with magpie monday for the first time this week and a loving looking through everyones blog post!

    ReplyDelete
  15. Fab finds, especially the wooden crates, the new ones in the garden centres cost an arm and a leg. Perfect for growing herbs.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Those crates look fantastic. I'd be using one for books/magazines and the other for kids toys...but I'm sure there are a million other more stylish uses for these very versatile pieces.

    ReplyDelete
  17. great finds - did you try the phone number just in case!??!!

    ReplyDelete

I love to hear your comments!