My first stall adventure!

I have loved vintage and crochet for years and it's only been the past few years I've done this blog, website and Facebook page ............. but I had my first stall adventure yesterday at the Vintage and Very Nice Fair in Chichester. 

Sleep evaded me the night before - but I'm guessing staying up to watch the Olympic Opening Ceremony probably didn't help (incidently I loved the ceremony and thought Mr Boyle did a *fantastic* job)! - and with an early call from Baby Lavender I was quite stressed about putting my crochet out for the visitors to look at and comment on.  I love my crochet and other people have said it's nice but friends are usually nice about stuff aren't they!?  I've had friends commission pieces for themselves or for a present but this was different!

The stall, I think, looked nice with a loan of some lovely pale blue shabby chic shelves and the scene was set!  I sold some bits and pieces but unfortunately NO crochet .............. boo!  Disheartened and disappointed are the words to use but really despite feeling sad for not having sold any crochet I must admit I *really* enjoyed the day.  I'm not very good in new situations and was very nervous but Alys from Olive Homeware and Penny Coppin from The Antique Studio who were the stalls either side of me were lovely and added to the enjoyment of the day.  Daryl Bowen and organiser of the event was really friendly and supportive and after a quick chat at the end of the day .... I think I might venture out and do another fair in the future.

I manged to whiz round on the day and take some photos (sadly not the best as they were on my mobile) of various stalls (there was some great things) and added some links to their sites but I didn't get a chance to speak to many people in depth.  The photos can be found on my Facebook page.

Eleanor Roosevelt said 'Do one thing each day that scares you' ........... I did yesterday!  I have dreams of running my own business one day that links crochet and vintage but I fear I will be one of those people that just has a dream and never achieves it ........... yesterday I felt almost like I had taken one step towards my dream - I know that sounds silly but hey it was a real adventure and I'm thinking of repeating it!

Some pictures below of my stall .....

Vintage and Very Nice Market

After an adventure of locking myself out of the house!  Mr Lavender is away sailing so I locked myself in the house last night and left keys in the doors - wanting to be safe!  On leaving for town this morning, I checked I had my keys - yes, clunk, oh no ... yes ... the keys were left in the door the other side!  Luckily Malcolm across the road has a long ladder (that sounds rude!) and was able to enter through an upstairs window I'd left open!  Don't tell Mr Lavender though! Thanks Malcolm my hero!

Anyway, breaking glass disaster averted and my trip into town could continue.  Chichester was busy due to the Goodwood Festival of Speed and it was lovely seeing people in all their finery enjoying Chi.  I grabbed coffee and a Pain au Raisen for Olive Homeware and went to the Vintage and Very Nice Market.  Music and a friendly atmosphere is always conducive to people browsing and buying.  It was also busy but not so busy I couldn't push Baby Lavender around and look at the stalls.  It was set out better than the last months fair ... I can't put my finger on what was different I think maybe not having the vintage clothes all in the middle really opened up the room but it was full of exciting stalls and some new faces.  I must admit I didn't go round all the stalls to speak to the owners, but I did purchase a lovely casserole dish from Michelle at Vintage Darlings (she doesn't have a facebook page or website yet but you can contact her on vintagedarlings.20@gmail.com) and she specialises in vintage homeware, accessories and gifts.  We had a nice natter about other events in the area and I mentioned Love Lane Vintage :-)

A cool birthday card was purchased from Kitsch Cards.  A great idea from Emily creating vintage-inspired greeting cards that not only creates fabulously kooky epoch-designs but also donates profits to B-eat, the U.K.’s National Eating Disorders Charity.  With cards already being sold in some outlets in Brighton it looks like they are heading in the right direction - good luck to Emily :-)

I introduced myself to Daryl of Vintage and Very Nice - having gone back to buy a cool pitcher I found it had gone and should have bought it when I saw it .... that's just what you have to do with Vintage and Very Nice things - buy it when you see it!! Darn it!  Mr Lavender would probably be pleased as he thinks I have enough 'stuff' already! ;-)  It was lovely to meet Daryl and have a natter about the event and the latest news from The Vintage Festival .... the announcement was made without consulting stall holders and came as a huge shock.  I haven't read the 262 comments yet (!!?**!!?) but after speaking to some of the larger stall holders today people have invested time and money preparing for the event in July and won't be able to make the change of date .... leaving them disappointed and frustrated.  I do hope they get it sorted.

It was lovely to speak to Becky of Plan for Mondays (one of the stall holders effected by The Vintage Festival announcement) ... she has some lovely bits of furniture but we don't have space for any of it which is a shame  ..... I'm still waiting to recover three chairs already purchased and I've had them for years - I've promised myself that that needs doing before the end of the year!

Olive Homeware was there and Baby Lavender is now the proud owner of a vintage block puzzle which we can get out in a few months time - maybe for her 1st birthday - or when she stops putting things straight in her mouth (when does that stop - LOL!)

There were many other stands there Linnea's Garten, The Mulberry Tree ..... do go along to the next VVN Market as I *might* have a stand there if I can crochet enough stock!  I don't know what will sell, if anything, but I'm enjoying crocheting again!  I might have sold two of my crocheted cotton face cloths to friends (they were probably just being nice ;-)) - LOL  It's hard putting stuff you've made out there to be scrutinised by the public!

On the way home I popped in to speak to Bryony the owner of Pretty Scruffy .... we had a good chat!  Surviving in this current economic climate is hard for the small independent shop but they have been there for 18 months and slowly but surely establishing themselves locally.  There is talk in the town council of removing the 'board' on South Street to advertise the shop and Bryony can't put up a bigger sign on the building (planning etc :-() so there is some concern over how this will effect them as a business.  They do such an important job of being a platform for local artists and support is needed - I believe - for smaller businesses rather than the large chains.  If you are after something for a gift or something a little different for your home then do pop along they are on Cooper Street just off the top end of South Street in Chichester :-)

Scrambled eggs and a lemon tart (for me not Baby Lavender) later, we are now enjoying play time.  Thanks to Daryl again for organising a cracking event - I love the fact it's free to enter :-) - and maybe see you as a stall holder next month!

Love Lane Vintage

So yesterday the sun shone and Baby Lavender and I went along to the Love Lane Vintage event in Wisborough.  We had great company with a friend and her little boy and Baby Lavender and I enjoyed the conversation :-)

While on maternity leave I've noticed that there are lots of events that happen during the week and I've been lucky enough to enjoy them this year, but I will miss attending them on my return to work in September.  It's amazing how events are advertised .......... I've been to events advertised on boards on roundabouts and via facebook but very few have been advertised in the local press or on any 'What's on' in West Sussex websites - word of mouth is great and probably much cheaper than other avenues but I was certainly glad to hear of this Brocante organised by Lucy (and her family) of Love Lane Vintage!

Love Lane Vintage is now in its third year of offering vintage china hire and styling services for weddings and parties. Lucy started the business following her own wedding in 2008, the business has grown over the last few years and now Lucy has opened her first boutique in Sussex, this acts as a showroom for her china hire and sells a range of vintage homeware, furniture, clothes and pretty garden items.

Lucy has just designed her first range of ladies clothes inspired by her vintage finds and country living, all are in natural fabrics with vintage floral trims. These will be available exclusively through Love Lane Vintage.

Love Lane is truly a family affair with Lucy's parents and husband all helping out with various aspects of the business and this showed in the slick running of the event yesterday.

The Sat Nav took Charlie and I through single lanes winding their way through the beautiful Sussex countryside; what a truly beautiful part of the world Sussex is.  Sometimes I forget what glorious things I have on my doorstep and sometimes I just forget to appreciate it and take things for granted.  To be able to drive through the undulating landscape of the South Downs and drive to the freshness of the Coast in 10 minutes is a treat that I really should delight in more often.

I had heard about the Love Lane Vintage Sussex Country Brocante (Brocante meant means 'second hand' or 'junk' in french - love it) via Love Lane Vintage Facebook page.  There is another on Thursday 19th July from 11am - 4pm at Wisborough Green Village Hall.

After the drive the parking wasn't the best (as it was such a popular event) but we found a place close enough and admired the village green duck pond as we sauntered to the hall.  It was a rather nice entrance in the sunshine as we got to admire the goods of The Vintage Garden Company who are based in Hardham, near Pulborough.  The entrance fee of £1 was refreshing especially when you've driven over 20 miles to get there!  The welcome was wonderful - the Mum of Love Lane Vintage welcomed us with a smile and cooed at the babies and even helped us in with the prams - such a friendly welcome ~ thank you :-)

The atmosphere was lovely, there was a real buzz of chatter, music, clinking tea cups and with the sun shining through the windows the event had a lovely feel.  I hate it when you walk into an event and there's a cold stoney silence - it doesn't encourage me to linger but yesterday was just perfect.

The first stall holder I spoke to was Jill of Jill Frost Vintage.  Jill has several units (Midhurst, Farnham) selling wonderful French and British decorative homewares and clothing mostly from 1920s onwards.  I particularly liked the beautiful hand embroidered bag above and appreciated the amount of work that would have gone into such an item

Dewdrops and Kisses were one of the smallest stands there but with no less lovely stuff.  They are a small locally run business selling vintage treasures, restored furniture and pretty china.  Laura Turner the owner of Dewdrops and Kisses (what a pretty name by the way) can source and restore furniture to your specifications as well as painting and restoring your own furniture at your home or in her workshop.  We particularly liked their cake bunting - what a great idea for birthdays, christening or even that vintage wedding.  Everything was set out beautifully and I've 'liked' their Facebook page but do go along and have a look. 

Charlie and I wondered round and the next thing to catch our eye were these adorable hand made floppy rabbits on The Lilliput Bazaar Stand.  The four girls were joined by one little boy rabbit (front right) and we took a shine to them with their simple shape and cute faces they really would make a lovely gift.  It was the lovely big floppy ears that did it for me :-)

The Lilliput Bizaar specialise in good quality pre-loved childrens clothing (ages 1 -12), and you can follow them on twitter (I tried twitter but couldn't get on with it and found the Blog far more satisfying - I think it's the amount one can write - LOL!)

I liked their ethos that they provide a service to the local community with recycling as a key focus - what a great mantra for todays disposable society. I am a great fan of the second hand market for Baby Lavender and people have been so kind with 'hand-me-downs' that Baby Lavender is sorted for the next few months but would certainly visit once Baby Lavender has outgrown her latest wardrobe! :-)

I had a little chat with Helen Wormald of The Lilliput Bizaar and she mentioned 'Handmade with Love' to me ... a Lavender Loops motto.  You can't sit for hours making something without a little bit of soul and love going into it - as good all crafters know.  The event is in Tunbridge Wells later this year and looks set to be exciting .... possibly some crochet workshops to make a granny squares to go away and craft etc .... I believe more details of the event are to follow but thank you to Helen for mentioning it.  There's nothing like word of mouth for spreading the craft word!

Walking round one of the largest stands was 'Stuff' (I believe they are in the process of creating their website www.stuffandcouk.com and unfortunately I couldn't find them on facebook :-(However if you want to contact them then you could email them stuffandcouk@gmail.com)  It is a fab name for this stand as it was full of wonderful stuff, lots of stocking fillers (yes I'm already thinking of Christmas as it's less than six months away!!)  We spent quite a long time speaking to The Flan Girls -  Fee, Lisa, Amanda and Nicola (and Louise a sister of one of the Flan Girls who is also creative making bags etc - but I didn't get a website I'm afraid!)  As they were stood by the stand it give the stand a friendly buzzy atmosphere and I found out that they were all involved with 'Stuff'.  They used to gather for a coffee on a regular basis for a club they attended and became friends and discovered they all had creative sides and 'Stuff' was born!

A few items stuck out as very creative ... I particularly liked their Tape Measure brooches and their old ruler photo frames all reasonably priced (which is always appreciated!)

Charlie liked this 'Tufty Club' bag and asked if I remembered the Tufty Club ... I didn't and had to google it today! Tufty the Squirrel apparently used to teach road safety to the very young from the 1960s onwards.  I found lots of information about him here!  I was more the 'Green Cross Code' girl!








After talking to the girls of  'Stuff' the next stop was the vintage cafe ... where we enjoyed a good cuppa and great slab of home made victoria sponge.  The babies enjoyed a small snack and with the energy levels refueled we carried on touring the stalls.

Parkminster Products was a lovely stall with fabulously branded and beautifully scented gifts for the home, body and bath all hand made in Sussesx.  Their range includes soy candles, body salt scrubs, bath salts, reed diffusers, soaps and foam baths.  Krystyna, originally an event organiser, makes all of the products in her studio where she lives in a cottage near the Cowfold Monastry with her family.  Her husband has helped with the branding and it really sets off the quality of the product. Parkminster Products can currently be found in a variety of boutiques and vintage shops around the UK.  Why not follow them on Facebook.
 

 
Theo and Bernice (the Granparents of Debbie the owner of the stall) had a lovely stall and her husband was great with his selling techniques and bought a smile to my face when he was telling me what great bargains there were ... and to come and get my 'Vintage Wares' at Theo and Bernice ... fabulous! :-)  You can also follow them on Facebook

There had to be cake involved somewhere and Cake Angel filled that criteria ... fabulous tea cakes and mini Victoria Sponge Cakes to tease the taste buds but what got me was the beautiful tea cup stand that Sara Hobbs had purchased from France several years ago.  Apparently it always gets comments and I wouldn't mind owning one myself!

I didn't get a chance to speak to the stall holder of Found Country Antiques but here are some pics of her stall ... I loved the minature enamel coffee sets they had for sale and the pale palette of their china! Another stand that I didn't get a chance to speak to was Gazehound Vintage - I wish I had managed to but it was  Baby Lavender (or cake!) that prevented me from taking a photo of the very cute minature bed and dressing table. 

Little Mouses stall was well presented and Katie Peats minature bunting really stood out with their professional packaging and the touch of vintage lace was just lovely.  The cushions with the vintage lace presented in the old suitcase was lovely (I used my Granfathers evacuation case at my wedding earlier this year as the place for the guests cards - you can  have a look on my facebook page for my wedding album!)

All in all a lovely afternoon and I'm hoping to go the the big Love Lane Vintage and Country Living Fair next event on 7th July (Baby Lavender has her first birthday party to attend for little Monty ... she's looking forward to it and I might be able to go to this in the morning before the party at 3pm :-))  My dear friend Olive Homeware will be there with her wares (beautiful cushions made from beautifully patterned fabric, organic muslins with Liberty appliqued elephants, organic baby blankets and bibs to their retro china and vintage childrens toys and books.)  Do pop along to Olive Homeware to say hello and have a look at their website and follow them on Facebook :-) 

Well done to the Love Lane Vintage team :-)  Don't forget to follow them on Facebook ....

The Rare Brands Market

A chance to visit the Rare Brand Market as I'm still on maternity leave and it was an enjoyable way to spend the morning especially as it was only a couple of miles down the road from me at Southend Barns in Donnington.  There were over 65 brands and to quote the Rare Brand team they made 'shopping elegantly easy for the West Sussex local lady.'  The Barns have recently been developed to a very high standard, with a contemporary style and a beautiful setting for this event, weddings etc.  I did think that it was a little dark in the main barn and it could do with a few down spot lights especially for stall holders that needed that extra light.


The flowers that greeted us as we entered the barn were fab and the wallpaper by the ladies was magnificent and I couldn't resist taking a picture of it - LOL

 

There was a huge range of goodies to peruse and with a 2 for 1 ticket, good coffee and lovely pastries for breakfast in the garden courtyard it all added to the ambience!  The setting for coffee was delightful with this great wooden log fence and glamping scene set up in the sunshine by The Glam Camping Company - yes the rain held off which was very lucky!






The first stall that I noticed was of Nicole Phillips an artist, designer and vintage ceramic up-cycler. She had a range of lovely ceramics and beautiful watercolours - delightful floral scenes beautifully displayed, I was nearly tempted but resisted the urge - a sample of her wares can be seen on the right!



As we walked round the familiar logo of Polka Dot House (on the left) stood out and so I went to introduce myself as we've 'connected' via Facebook.  It was lovely to put a face to the name and page!  They had a nice range of new, old and handmade gooides as their motto is ... Something Old, Something New, Something Handmade .... All Things Lovely!  I made my only purchase of the day, a vintage Ladybird book for Mr Lavender from Baby Lavender about Men at Sea ... as a keen sailor he appreciated it and it turned out he had the book when he was a boy and remembers it :-)



Making my round the main barn some silver caught my eye and I spent a little time talking to Sophie Davis of Seres Gifts Limited about her beautiful silver jewellery.   We discussed the venue, the merits of Facebook and social networking and I was very nearly tempted to buy another silver bangle ~ the Helix bracelet was a work of art ~ but again the head ruled the heart, although the website will be bookmarked for Mr Lavender just in case he needs inspiration!

Mia Bella Casa was a lovely little stall that had an array of unusual gifts, handmade, fairtrade, eco-friendly and as Justine is local to me in Ferring it's always good to support local business :-)








I have to apologise to the owner of the Connell and Todd stall, Kate .... I was drawn to the vintage images and wanted to take a photograph.  With Baby Lavender in my arms (there was no room to push the pram round :-() it was difficult and she very kindly offered to have a cuddle and I handed her over!  But Baby Lavender is at the stage of investigating everything and loves grabbing faces, glasses, mouths and ears ...... ooops :-/  I did get a photo but it's a little blurred.  Do go and visit their website as the photography is amazing.















What I loved about Connell and Todd was their concept of aiming to make buying souvenirs from places you visit trendy again .... they take their inspiration from early 20th century vintage travel posters.  On their travels they scour the country for special vintage finds depicting British destinations for that one-of-a-kind momento.  The fact that they source all the products from the UK is fabulous, supporting British manufacturing ... so you can own something nice and feel good about it too!


The day ended with a glorious scrummy cake from Strawberry Shortcake by Diana O'Brien.  Diana is organising a little fair in Bosham next Friday afternoon and I fear that we'll be popping along to sample more of her lovely cakes as it's only down the road :-)  Any excuse for lovely cake :-)

All in all a great morning out and I'll definitely be going again :-)

Well done to The Rare Brand Market team ... great advertising, signing, venue and of course the coffee always helps to make the day a success ... maybe next time get Strawberry Shortcake to add to the pastries though as their cakes were lovely :-)

A trip to Vintage Nation in Brighton

So Olive Homeware and I with Baby OH and Baby Lavender went to Vintage Nation today at Brighton Racecourse.   The SatNav took us round the houses to get there as neither of us had been there before and boy, what a setting and such great views across Brighton to the sea.

Parking was easy and we didn't have to queue to get in as we arrived early at 1020am so the event had only been open 20 minutes ... there's nothing like beating the crowds.  We also benefitted from the 2 for 1 offer in Home and Antiques  I have to say I was delighted with the ticket collection and no queues.  It was quiet when we first arrived but this changed later in the day when we went back a few hours later ... the place was buzzing and it was crammed with people :-)

I did purchase a little bargain pink tea cup and saucer from Splendid Vintage UK.

Tea and coffee was in order and all four of us ventured up to the Tea Room, it was pleasantly decorated with standard lamps, vintage posters and a little tea cup and saucer in each table with a peonie.  I did enjoy the entertainment ... they were great, really fitting for the day and sounded awesome too!

I did enjoy seeing some of the great vintage outfits that people were wearing ... stunning.  They had a professional photograher in the Tea Room ...






After a short rest we ventured back down to the halls and had another browse where I purchased another tea set from Baboushka, they don't have a website yet so I can't link to them but Gordon and Tina were really friendly.  I thoroughly enjoyed the second browse as the atmosphere had really picked up.

It was lovely to catch up with Plan for Mondays Vintage.  They have some amazing items for sale and she reupholsters all the arm chairs, chairs herself and in vintage fabric, which really adds that quirky touch that we all look for for our home!

If you are after Vintage Clothes then 'Oh My' there was lots of stands to satisfy.  Furniture had it's own area and along with Plan for Mondays Vintage, Retropolitan  stood out for me with some stunning pieces.

It was a lovely day out and I know that there was some great music on later in the day and as the day went on the atmosphere just got better and better ... good luck to Judy Berger and Judy's Affordable Vintage Fairs.

My Windy June Day ....

Well what a day ... it might be windy and raining outside but I've had a lovely day!  I had morning coffee with a friend of mine and her little boy from Olive Homeware (Baby Lavender is a week older!) and they played nicely while we chatted about upcoming vintage fairs, auctions etc ... my head was buzzing with ideas after their visit but buzzing in a good way!

I then walked into Chichester and met a lady in a fabric shop and we talked about crochet as we were looking at the same book ... it's amazing how two strangers can chat away about their hobby like they were long lost friends :-)

By the cross in the centre there was an awesome folk band busking .. I have video but not sure how to download off my mobile yet but when I do I'll upload it as myself and Baby Lavender had a jig!

I then saw Prince Edward and Sophie, Countess of Wessex, in Chichester ....  no, I didn't just bump into them shopping!  They were in Chichester to visit the Festival of Flowers at the Cathedral!  Baby Lavender has just learnt to wave and she managed to wave but I'm not sure they appreciated what a momentous occasion this was for her!

I also found a lovely little cream and gold tea set trio, a Royal Stafford floral tea set and a few other little treasures but I've yet to take photos but hope to soon!

Tomorrow sees Olive Homeware, Baby OH, Baby Lavender and myself heading along the coast to Brighton Racecourse for the Vintage Nation event .... I'm really looking forward to it :-)

I'll update you asap about the Vintage Nation outing.

LL

Mid Summer Fair at Trading Boundaries

I ventured to The Trading Boundaries for the Mid Summer Fair and had a lovely day out.  The setting was very appropriate for an English Country Summer Fair and Baby Lavender and I enjoyed a great coffee in the shade with Olive Homeware and Baby Olive while listening to the live jazz band.

The stalls were lovely and I could have spent alot of money but I was restrained!  I loved the layout of the stands and was delighted to meet some lovely stall holders.  Louise of Make It Yours was lovely and spent some time talking to OH and myself about our thoughts of what we would like to do and when (it makes a difference having Baby OH and Baby Lavender) .... there's nothing like talking to the customer direct to know what people want.  Louise is starting out on this new venture and it seems really exciting with new courses being added all the time in the Sussex area.  I fancied the foraging course that allowed you to get back to nature and become a Masterchef with wild food.  What a great idea :-)

I was also inspired by the settings of all of the stands (the sunny weather did help as they were able to spread outside the marquees) .... it makes a difference to see beautiful objects surrounded by gorgeous flowers.

 

It was a great day out and I'm now eyeing up my new deckchairs and can't wait for the fabric to go on them so I can replace it with some funky vintage fabric - LOL.

Lavender Loops Blog returns!

My, my, my what a long time I've been away for!  Since I've been gone, I've been pregnant, moved house, had Baby Lavender and got married ............ not much really!!! It's been an exciting year but it's time to concentrate on Lavender Loops now!

I'll be regularly blogging and I hope you enjoy the read!