Silly Season .....

What is happening with our Seasons ..... do I have my rose tinted specs on again when I say that when I was a girl we had autumn, winter, spring then summer ????  You knew where you were and had clothing to suit but here we are today on the first day of October 2011 and it is a sweltering 27 degrees out there.  The hot flushes that I thought had departed are back with a bloody vengeance and the shorts are back out of the cupboard.  No doubt next week we will have floods or snow .... I am totally confused and am sceptical about all this global warming business that seems to be fashionable at the moment but something must be happening out there.  Heard on the radio yesterday that some areas were testing gritter lorries in readiness for the winter .... wonder if we will need them this year ???

I've been busy this week preparing for the Autumn Fayre at our local primary school tomorrow and I am somewhat nervous as I don't tend to broadcast close to home that I craft .... don't ask me why as I am not usually backward in coming forward !  Small pocket money items have been the order of the day .... hair bands, brooches, key rings, crochet /knitted cakes, PE/shoe bags (sorry forgot to photo) and children's apron/baking sets.

Of course a sunshiney weekend wouldn't be the same without some car boot looting would it???

The two I visited this morning were the busiest I have see them all season

The 1960s crimplene suit (shift dress & coat) is a cracker and was apparently worn once to a wedding ... the label says size 16 but my hips say no so it is now available on Ebay here.

Three pretty Strevens prints of cute children .... an interesting article on the artist here .... I'm not sure if the Audrey Hepburnesque girl with the cigarette holder is one of his too as I can't see a signature but all three were framed in Boots as the original labels are on the back.

The key rings that I made for the Fayre (in first photo collage) are made from the pages of a very tatty old Enid Blyton Noddy book .... I have been wondering what to do with it as it was too tatty to sell but had some lovely illustrations and the empty key ring fobs seemed the perfect thing ... they are double sided with a colour picture on one side and text on the reverse.  To my surprise there at the boot this morning was the very same book in lovely condition with original dust jacket for just 50p ... how spooky is that??

Also found was a lovely 1930s needlecraft book and a wierd and wonderful 1960s/70s toy called the Magic Joy Wheel.

Regular readers of my ramblings will recognise the last photo in the collage .... not a car boot find but one from a well known auction website this week ... yes it is another Lilian Rowles to add to my collection .... isn't it gorgeous !!

Feeding time at the menagerie yesterday with one nosey bird who just had to join in!

Well its like waiting for a bus .......

..... you know when you wait ages and then two come along together

Well after blogging about my little collecting passion this week guess what I spied at the flea market this morning ???

 Three gorgeous little cups and saucers in a flow blue marbled effect .... too tiny for backstamps but dating to around 1840/50

 I placed a standard Denby cup & saucer behind them to give you some idea of scale

 and then blow me down on the next stall was this pair in a hand painted tiny sprig design again dating to around 1850/1860 .... apologies for the poor shot but we have been blighted by brilliant sunshine today but I'm not complaining ;-)

We left the flea market and went on to my favourite little Aladdin's cave of treasures at Hexton .... I had some more stock to take down there and I am delighted to say that August was a fabulous month and most of my stock had been sold so it needed replenishing.

Opposite Country Matters is a lovely pub called The Raven and because it was such a beautiful morning we popped in for lunch in their lovely garden.  Who would have thought that we would be sitting basking in the sunshine on this second day of September .  It's so peaceful down there and we'll be popping down again tomorrow as it is the village fete within the grounds of Hexton Manor.  There is also an exhibition by the Bedfordshire Quilters group in the neighbouring village of Barton-le-Clay so I shall be paying that a visit too.

On the collecting front again I have another postcard by Lilian Rowles .... a sweet little birthday postcard dated 14 August 1932

I haven't tracked down the name but the house still exists and can be seen on Google streetview

Well long may this sunshine continue ... have a great weekend xx

and the collection grows .....

A few more pieces with illustrations by Lilian Rowles to add to my collection

This gorgeous Valentine's postcard "A Little Ray of Sunshine" - it is a used card and this is what is on the back

I love to have a dig around and find out about the history of my little bargains so I've googled the name Waveny Whiteaway and found that she was born in Weybridge in 1922 so she was just 10 years old when she sent this card as the postmark is 28 January 1932.

I also found this photo on Photobucket and I believe the young lady in the centre is Waveny

How I wonder does a sweet little postcard, sent some 80 years ago from Worthing to Weybridge, manage to find itself on Ebay with a postcard dealer in York and now has a home with me in Bedfordshire?

A very well travelled card and I hope the Whiteaway family won't mind me telling you all about it on here .... it is so nice to put a face to the handwriting.

Another Lilian Rowles postcard ..... again Valentines

this one has never been used so no history lesson here sadly

A little story book of Aladdin with illustrations by Lilian Rowles which I think was published a little later in the 1940s

Lilian Rowles

Lilian Rowles is the lady who is responsible for my beautiful avatar.  I fell in love with her drawings nearly 30 years ago when I started my family and still keep on the lookout for more of her work.  In the past couple of weeks I have acquired a charming postcard with a postmark for 11 September 1932

and today this book came

the collection grows !

Love for Lilian

As most of you will know from my Avatar I just love the baby/children prints from the 1930s  by Lilian Rowles.

I am overjoyed this week to add some more to my collection

These charming prints were presented with the Lady's Companion during the month of April 1930 and they are in super condition.

Also on my shopping list was an old tin of buttons

the buttons were great in themselves but the tin ..... am I ever likely to come across another one .... this one is called Two Eyes of Blue and hasn't she just!