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?

~*Friday Find - Who would live in a house like this?*~ New blog post

As Lloyd Grossman would say 

"Who would live in a house like this?"

Apparently four frogs and a squirrel.

I haven't wrote a Friday find blog post in such a long time, yet the collecting has continued and trying to hide those new knick knack purchases took on a new scale in the form of this sweet dolls house. I found this abode at a carboot sale, it came with it's own sweet furniture, plastic in a 40's-1950's style with the addition of 1985 Sylvanian family. Repainted, and the roof in need of a little love, it's near perfect 1940's-1950's house, with opening front door and metal frontage, crazy patterned carpet from the 70's I think?. One thing worries me though, their is know toilet, I guess frogs just tinkle in a pond? ;)

I had a seen a few gorgeous vintage dolls houses on eBay, sadly a lot were out of the region and pick up only, so I was totally in awe of this house when I spotted it. I bought the the house in mind for display in the shop, and later on thinking it would look sweet under the Christmas tree in our window display, but their just wasn't room in the end. I think i'll leave the roof as it is, to fix it I think would just create more damage. For now it's being stored in our spare room, hopefully one day craft room ;).


Do you have a similar house to? or maybe an avid dolls house maker - collector. We would love to here your stories. We have also set up a photo album on our facebook for customers/friends to upload vintage - retro - antiques - kitsch finds/projects you may like to share, you may need to add images to the wall first - take a peek at the photos already added - link.


Last, but not least, our peg doll give away ends tomorrow, 3 lucky winners will win a peg doll kit each. More details can be found here - link.

Have a fab weekend
Jamboree
x

{Inspired - Christmas} New blog post

For the past few months I have been moon lighting as an elf, burning the midnight oil creating Christmas decorations for the shop and leaving trails of glitter and painty finger prints - oops ;). 
Theirs nothing we love more then vintage & kitschy Christmas decorations and graphics, notably a big influence upon our Christmas range. I really do hope you will love it, I'm still undecided about a batch of felt birds I have created, very kitschy - maybe I can post and you can tell me what you think?. 
Rustled up the above montage, proving hard not to get carried away with so many wonderfully influencing, inspirational and generally adored vintage and kitschy ideas whirling around. 


Which is your favourite inspiration for Christmas? Shabby chic, vintage, kitsch, retro, traditional or contemporary? 


I was hoping to introduce our Christmas goodies this week, but realistically it will be next week pinkies crossed - shall keep you posted.


H
x

Viva Kitsch - Friday Find {New blog post}

Hello,

It seems another week has whizzed past, or is that just me?. Full of busy behind the scenes, dare I say Christmas plans? for Jamboree, I've had my fair share of paint in my hair and glitter on my pinkies.

It's been a while since we posted a Friday find, I would love to share two pieces of kitsch with you. I thought they were so sweet at just 3 inches high, I love how the base is a tambourine. So far this is the listings photo from eBay, noted that the lady may be missing something from her hand, not sure I can make any mini castanets :D, but maybe a mini fan - what do you think? 

What shall this sweet couples names be?

If you love collecting kitsch, vintage, retro, even contemporary funky designs, we would love to hear about your fave item or collection - pop us an email.

If you scroll down - on the right hand side you can follow our guest bloggers posts and their vintage finds, also more collecting adventures in the new section: Adventures of a Collector.

Have a fab weekend, and if your off collecting hope you find some fabulous finds :)

H

x

~We thank you!~ Giveaway time ;)

As a big thank you for all the support of fabulous tweeters, funky facebook amigos, blogger buds, and our lovely instore customers. We thought we would have a lil giveaway. 

Up for grabs is this unusual contemporary kitschy horse necklace - be in a chance to ride off into the sunset wearing said necklace ;) simply be a follower via any of our pages blog, twitter, or facebook and pop us a message - or give us a retweet. Feel free to enter on all three sites for your chance to win - e.g add your comment to all three pages for 3 entries - wayhey!. Closing date is the Sunday the 26th of June. Names shall be picked out of a hat old school style ;)
Good luck
x

{Give away now closed - stay tuned for future give aways}

The Stowaways dollies ~New blog post~

I honestly can't remember such glorious sunshine, then this week in the bay. Bees and butterflies are taking flight, and it's wonderful to be able to have the shop door open. 
Venturing out today to Tynemouth, to the Antiques & Collector's fair at the Park Hotel - oh, deary, two new stowaways to add to the collection - how could I not take the sailor and his pal home? Snapped up the pair for £5.
The girl doesn't have a theme, I was thinking Bo-peep? what do you think? I love the rose detail on her outfit. 
They are in fantastic condition, like they were created yesterday. In contrast to the first wooden dolly (in photo below) I have had for years, she is like Cinderella before the transformation, and badly in need of some TLC.
I think the dolls are souvenirs, possibly German?

Little Bo-peep has lost her sheep...

Possibly the prettiest lips a sailor has ever had.

My first wooden doll in the pink dress - one day she will be transformed back to a beauty, minus the bald head and floppy body.

Have you found any vintage items to add to your collection recently? Would love hear about them.

This week has been full of busy adding new items to the shop - adore the floral decorative hearts and sailing boat wall art.

and these cute peg people - adore Snow White, and also the Little Red Riding Hood collection.

Also new jewellery to - pull up a seat, great for a dinner party/night out.

Oodles more goodies instore - check out our news & goodies page.

The gang is waiting on some jam rolly polly we discovered in Morrisons - my favourite dessert at school, yet very elusive it seems compared to other tasty treats - here goes with the taste testing.

ttfn

x

This one goes out to the ones I love :new blog post:

I surrender me hearties! 
How many pirates hoping for a kiss this Monday, do you think are lurking in Whitley Bay?
        If their was ever to be an occasion for cute illustrated greetings cards it has to be Valentines Day don't you think?. I love checking old old greetings cards on ebay and etsy, always in the hope of framing images - maybe to use in the shop above the fireplace, or for inspiration. I think my favourite period is the kitsch 40s - 50's cards, cute twist on the wording - you can't have valentines day without a hint of cheese now can you?


A favourite site for vintage images is Vintage holiday crafts. A host of images dating from 1890's to approx 1950's - fantastic images for a vintage project or a special valentines maybe?

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Other images I spotted online

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Love these crafty chipboard buttons by Jenni Bowlin

And by Heart warming vintage pretty stickers

A couple of books I have on my amazon wish list are these fabulous Valentines books.

Top of the list is Vintage Valentines (Press Out Book) by Golden Books. Cute individual cards to pop out and display, but Unfortunately going for crazy money on amazon at the moment though.

 also Dover's, who have an extensive vintage back catalogue.

Vintage Valentines (Electronic Clip Art)- copyright free images (Dover Electronic Clip Art) 

You might remember a book from Christmas I mentioned in another vintage post - Christmas Vintage holiday graphics by Taschen. They also have a book especially for cupid's day of mischief. I haven't seen which cards are featured, but the Christmas book is fantastic if you love vintage illustrations.

Valentines: Vintage Holiday Graphics (Icons)

Any other crafty vintage fans out there? pop us a tweet or email and share your creations - would love to see your projects.

Jamboree

x

*Sings* There's a little Dutch mill on a little Dutch hill... ~:Friday Find new blog post:~

This little lady I discovered at a car boot fair last year, she was in need of some TLC. This is her tale.

A Dutch Girl figurine, marked as foreign on the base, I'm not sure of it's originally use, maybe a quaint pen pot?. I hope to finally use her as a pen pot when crafty room is complete.
Some people might not give her the time of day, but I love my kitsch - she was the bargain of £1 I think, In needed some repair to her head scarf, and a date with a fabulous bubble bath thanks to good ole Fairy, she was soon to be spic and span. My Mam advised to soak the figure in boiling hot water to ease the old glue, she had been re-glued on top of old crusty glue??, looked disgusting when I finally peeled it off.

Not the worlds best unveiling photo but, hope the difference shows up, I think these images can be enlarged. Slight hairline crack is visible but, still love her to bits. The only thing is to find her a home amongst the collection.

At the same Carboot fair I discovered these cups - 50 pence each. I know some where I have similar designed cup and saucers, I'll have to go a rummaging. These cups are based on Nursery Rhymes - "Little Boy Blue" and "Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary"  There is a book that I'd love to add to my collection, tracing the origins of the Nursery Rhymes interesting information on how some are linked to historical events. - one day I'll add it to the collection ;) helps if I could remember who it is by, o.O off I go searching......

Friday Finds ~:New blog post:~ Good egg

Last Friday, I set myself a mini mission to take stock of years of collecting, rummaging, and some might say hoarding, in an attempt to get organized and give my collection the justice it needs, but also a way to share what inspires us, our love of collecting and inspiration to, hence Friday find.

If your a collector, you know that the word hoarding is practically a sin, one person's tat, is another's treasure. I'm often interested in the history of an object, if only it could speak, or a book could tell it's own story.

Following on from last Fridays find, a sailor moneybox - link. Marion, creator of gorgeous doll outfits, featured a sailor eggcup in her Etsy listing, my eyes lit up on seeing the image, as at home I have a matching sailor in a form of a moneybox. Marion has been kind enough to send images of her eggcups, similar instyle to our sailor.

The design of the egg cups brought back fond memories of having breakfast at my Grandma's house, dipping soldiers into an egg, a Noddy or Big Ears eggcup.

(Source)

How cute are those egg cups?

Did you have similar egg cups as a child? we'd love to hear about your collection, memories - drop us a line email or pop us a comment.

{Anything goes}

Anything kitsch, quirky, vintage/retro or cute, is always very welcome in my collection, trying to squish in that latest find is part of the fun to, right? lol.
The above image is a mini collection I see very morning. Collected over a number of years, even a Jamboree goodie of the blue Russian doll money box, we recently found one hiding, and is current our last, you can find her on our sales table for £3.50, I hope she isn't lonely for to long.
As you can see I like pigs, all though I only occasionally add a piggy product to the collection now, I really couldn't say how my love of pigs started, I love them all, pigs great and small. I think my favourite is the pig hybrid, with pretty opaque butterfly wings, which I discovered at Camden market years ago.

And on that note, this little piggy needs to go wee wee wee all the way home.
Have a great weekend.

Jamboree x

Friday Finds - Hello Sailor!

Hello everyone

I can't believe this is our first blog post of the new year, January is full steam ahead already, I had planned to post pics of Christmas etc. Not only is Friday a day for following on twitter (you can follow us to - Jamboreetweetie) but, hopefully a day to share a love of vintage in the form of Friday finds, sharing a love of collecting and inspiration.

I found this sailor money box over the summer at a carboot, officially he is the first guy in my clan of girly figures, or Knick Knack gals as I call them, if he could speak, I don't think he would be complaining though.

It's hard to put a date to him, he as a feeling of 50's-60's, but  he could be 80's made I think. If you have one, or any info I'd love to know more :D

I just happened to be on Etsy and spotted the same sailor boy, and thanks to Marion, creator of lovely outfits for Blythe dolls and Ddung dolls (etsy shop - My little doll outfits  a new area of collecting for myself - Blythe dolls etc, but thats whole other story) for information of her sailor boy, which turned out to be an egg cup, also in the collection, a poiliceman design to. It's got me thinking how many objects this design evolved into. I'm now on a mission to find more.

How cute is this outfit, made by Marion for a Ddung doll? perfect for Whitley Bay :)

If you would like to join us for Friday finds, we would love to have your images join the collection. Whether it be a fab find, a treasured part of your collection, be it vintage or modern send us a tweet, or drop us a line to Jamboreebay@yahoo.co.uk.

Have a great weekend, and if you out looking for finds, have a rummage for us. Pinkies crossed for an excellent find for your collection.

Jamboree

x