ALICE IN WONDERLAND (1915) Silent Classic

Just discovered this video and wanted to share, I'm eagerly waiting to see the Cheshire Cat. The music of Tchaikovsky's The Nutcracker Ballet compliments the film so well don't you think?

Which characters from Alice in Wonderland are your favourites?

H

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{Adventures in Shopland} Poor Ted....

I'm really tempted to put glitter on Ted now, he he. 

Which colour do you think would be cutest for his bow?

H

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{Pin it} {Button it} {Nibble it} --- {New blog post}

A few weeks ago I was inspired by a photo I had seen on Pinterest of button biscuits as shown left, with a visit from my Auntie planned I donned my invisible cook hat and set to work. I don't get the chance to bake much, It's always an indulgence and family tradition at Christmas, so thought why not give this a whirl for a change. 
Borrowing Mama Jamboree's 70's cook book I adapted a basic biscuit recipe, leaving out the cocoa powder (recipe below), once mixed, I separated the mixture in two halves adding blue and red food colouring, brown was a mixture of the two, you know how you created brown plasticine with all the colours at school, imagine that ha!, so much for a red and blue swirl, more fun next time. Now the experimenting began playing with different glasses to create the button shapes and indentations, a chopstick came in handy to create the holes for thread. It took people a few guesses to realise the biscuit design, so next time I think I'd add four sewing holes, maybe white icing thread between the buttons holes would look cute to - what do you think?
Ouw! I nearly forgot, for extra sweetness I sandwiched two biscuits together with scrumptious strawberry jam, smidgen of jam peeking threw the sewing holes. 

The funky groovy tins are Mam's from the 70's, I love the floral pink cake tin, the plate was a carboot discovery and butterfly buttons a craft show find which I've been hoarding ever since ;). 

{Inspiration} 

If you fancy creating your own biscuit cookies this is the recipe I used, why not treat your Mam/Mum this Mother's Day. 

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I think I better finish here, all these scrumptious biscuits photos are making me hungry!, and alas the cupboard is bare. 

If you would like to follow us on Pinterest jump on over via this link.

Hope you have oodles of fun with this project to.

H

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S.W.A.L.K {Vintage Valentine GIVE AWAY}

Kitsch, cute and mixed in with love to boot, for it's the season of love and what could say it more then a vintage Valentine card. 

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These highly sought after cards for their sweet illustrations with quirky sentiments makes them irresistibly cute. I've never managed to get one for my collection, so when I saw this wonderful book of reproduction press out Valentine greetings I had to snap a few up! I hope you will love it to and make a lovely edition for your collection. 

This collection, originally produced in 1945, and reproduced in 2005 with flocked red velvet effect onto the cards, it truly is a lovely collection.

Twelve pages in total, which included greetings cards and envelopes to pop out, lovely to treasure as inspiration, or for your vintage collection.

{Peek inside}

Cupid is at the ready with his bow to pick one lucky winner. 
{Give away now CLOSED}

If you would like to enter: simply be a follower of our blog, Facebook or Twitter page, all three counts as three chances to win. Please retweet this post on twitter, like & share our give away post on Facebook, or leave a blog comment for a chance to win.

Give away is open to UK residents. Closing date is Friday February 10th, on Saturday we will announce the winner in time for Valentines day.

Cupid is sending luck your way with the flapping of his little wings.

Good Luck from us to.

H

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Monday Muse: Erté

Last night on BBC Four I watched "The Boyfriend" starring Twiggy. Fabulous 20's inspired costumes and back drops that made you want to jump through the TV to take part in the sophisticated mayhem, sadly having to settle to a bit of a bop around the living room. The film must have cost a fortune to produce in the 70's. I would love to know what became of all the costumes, and whether Twiggy was able to keep one or two.
A favourite scene is captured on the record cover for the sound track, dancers on a large gramophone record in a display a kin to synchronized swimming. (source)
The film made me think of one of my favourite Illustrator's/Artist Erté.

       Erté: A Russian-born French artist, his true name was Romain de Tirtoff, better know by the French pronunciation of his initials, R.T, the name Erté was born.
Lavish, chic, risqué, sophistication, imaginative, an undertone of dark fantasy, fabulous detail, all wrapped up in a big stylish Art Deco bow. Erté designs inspired many forms: costumes, set designs for opera, interior decor, magazine covers for Harper's Bazaar, Jewellery, you name it Erté style knew know limits. 
Working throughout his life, and living to the grand old age of 97 in France, in his own life time a 1960's revival put Erté back into the spotlight celebrating his influence upon Art Deco. His style lives on books in and posters, we have a selection of postcards in Jamboree as pictured to the right.
One book I can recommend is a Dover publication Erté Fashion Designs: 218 Illustrations from "Harper's Bazaar", 1918-32, a lovely gift from my brother some years ago, a fab source of inspiration. Check out the amazon link for a peek inside. Their are also other books available - do you know of any you could recommend?

Looking at the illustrations I also wonder if Lady GaGa is a fan - what do you think?

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One of my favourites.

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I love the above image, it's as though a cascade of glitter has been set free in celebration.

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I had never seen this image before, and simply said wow!

I was sad to see that Past Times is know more, they always stocked Erté designs on gifts etc. Used to love the Art Nouveau section to.

Are you a Erté fan?

H

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Thank you Lola Nova - such a treat.

In November I was lucky enough to win a wonderful flirty fabric wallet created by Alexandra Smith, you may know Alexandra's creations as Lola Nova, wonderful designs from vintage fabrics. I absolutely adore the fabrics chosen for the wallet, I love the contrast and bold colours of the roses, working alongside pink pinstripe and delicate flowers, complete with green fabric, I  imagine it as the grass they bloom amongst. 

A total "wow" moment, I couldn't believe I had won, truly really made my day, along with the amusing and novel way the winners had been chosen, imagine firing a pencil, hitting the numbered target to select the winners.

Our love of winter became our entry on Lola Nova - What Ever Lola Wants blog - I wrote:

# 39 is Jamboree of Whitley Bay who said : "Winter, for all it brings the cold and dark nights, I love to think something magical is waiting to happen. The first snowfall, the hope of an adventure with James and the Snowman. Christmas, a time with family and reminiscing about childhood, reading a good book all snuggly inside and sipping hot chocy."

 The lyrics from "The Sounds of Music" are spot on 

it was a true treat just to unwrap the package adorned with Russian doll motifs this morning, not to mention the lovely discovery of a bauble inspired decoration to, thank you so much Alexandra for such a wonderful treat.

If your a reader of Mollie Makes you may remember the Lola Nova wallet tutorial and the pretty rosy wallet featured in Issue 5 to. 

I'm really looking forward to starting the free projects that came with each issue of Mollie Makes, and being inspired by tutorials inside. Time to indulge, relax in a total craft overload and nibbling chocie's over the festive period.

Do you love Mollie Makes to? be sure to check it out, a new copy out is out, and be sure to visit Lola Nova.

H

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Even old baubles...

Glass, glitzy, kind of kitschy, hand made, stuck together from your school days,

rustic, vintage, shabby chic and stylish. Inspiration is the key to decorating your Christmas tree.

What has been your inspiration this year?

♫ ♪ O Kitschmas tree! O Kitschmas tree!

Today officially felt festive, transported back in time to being a kid with "The Never Ending Story" on ITV and pretty much glued to the films that followed, preparations for Sunday giving the living room a blitz, tidying crafty goodies and such. Even time to nibble a festive biccy or two and edit snaps of our Christmas tree.

To say we didn't love kitsch and vintage decorations would be a fib. Collected throughout the years and the introduction of new goodies the tree seems to take on a life of it's own, full of characters and creatures. I didn't realise just how many snowmen and angels guarded the tree. 

I think this year I bought one of the kitschest decorations I've bought in a long time, in memory of our Yorkshire Terriers to. Fluff and beaded detailing for the dress I couldn't resist the glass Yorkie decoration from Fenwicks, I really loved a juke box decoration to, but was finally tempted by a glass toadstool. I was surprised the Yorkie was about £3.95 - £4.95 I think, later discovering it was £6.95 in Paperchase.

Discovered last year: Two part Russian doll dec's from Accessorize, along with house dec from B&Q & gingerbread man from Pound Stretcher.

One of our oldest decorations from when I was a child, the angel I believe is meant to hold a candle, can't quite believe candles were used to decorate trees in Victorian times - match anyone?. 

Glass baubles: remind me of Christmases gone by to, although the amount of our vintage glass baubles have dwindled over the years, adore the vibrant colours and shapes.

Snuck Hello Kitty chocolate baubles on the tree to - they have all been counted and their will be daily investigations of said baubles for anyone tempted for a nibble - you know who you are! ;)

Each year I love to create decorations for the shop, but always forget to keep a few for our tree, this year this little owl flew into our collection. 

A reindeer and his hoodie, thankfully without a ban from shopping centres. And it wouldn't be Christmas without the nativity.

Another oldie from my childhood, now we know what Santa does after Christmas day - Play tennis, I bet Rudolf cheats ;)

Gingerbread folk always tempt me, I don't know why, maybe it's the total sweetness both nibbled and decorative :) the gingerbread house was a lovely edition from a dear friend, I thought it would look cute paired up. 

A close favourite of the festive season has to be "The Snowman" I have to confess I have been know to fly the mini snowman around the room whilst singing "Walking in the air"...and moving on lol. The larger snowman I rescued from a car boot, in need for some TLC of the bath variety he came up practically like new for a bargain of 50 pence I think it was.

You'll have to excuse the mess, quick snap the other night when the tree was finally up. Decided to fiddle with the camera settings, I think the second pic looks more like viewing the tree after a tipple.

These pic's I have called contemporary Christmas tree aka more camera fiddling trickery.

Throughout the bay I have found treats for the family, but just in case they are spying, other treats discovered recently further a field are two lovely tins discovered in TKMaxx. The temptation of the gingerbread striked again - snapped up for £5.99 with chocolate chip cookies inside. 

The stocking I discovered at Boundary Mills, although it was a pound our two cheaper in Fenwicks, but I had already bought it. The two sweet houses were a charity shop discovery, the pair for £1.50. I had hoped to use them for the shop as display, but they have came in useful for decoration at home. 

What is your Christmas tree theme this year? maybe a different colour scheme each year, or treasurer of decorations collected over the years to. We love hearing your festive traditions.

If you didn't know already we have entered The Best Dressed Window competition as part of a North Tyneside project for local businesses.
That's not only, their is also a chance to WIN a pair of tickets for one lucky winner for a performance of your choice at the Whitley Bay Playhouse. 

I thoroughly enjoyed creating the displays for the Christmas window, I think my favourite is Daisy the mouse, she was such fun to create along with Gingerbread Elvis and his fans.

If you would like to have a peek at our window pics - take a peek here. Any votes are truly appreciated - good luck & thank you.
It's lovely to see Whitley Bay decorated, shop windows and street decorations, I especially love the trees decorated of St. Paul's, I keep meaning to take photos each year, but I never get the chance. 
Well just in case this is our last blog post of the festive season - we would like to wish you all a wonderful Christmas and a happy new year.

Thank you for your custom in 2011 - here's to 2012.

H

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