Accessories Of Old

The giveaway winner

Now that it is the last day of the month it is time to choose the winner of our first giveaway.

Let me tell you ladies it was not a easy task choosing a winner as you were all wonderful in your comments. I was amazed at how many of you would share the winnings (shows just what a special bunch of crafters there are out there) I laughed at how many of you would love the buttons as if they were your own children and embrace them. So pleased to see that all our wonderful items would  go to good homes where they will be appreciated and loved as much as we love them!

Anyhow in taking into account how hard it was to choose only one person and that it was our first give away I  have decided after choosing the one lucky person who is going to receive the giveaway that you are  all going to get  a little something too ... yup you read right! 

 All of you who left comments for the give away are  going to get something from Accessories Of Old  in the mail -  SO those of you out there  please email me  your  postal address .

And now for the lucky person who is the official winner of our first giveaway ..... well done to :

MAUREEN - this package is on its way to you as soon as you send me your address.. Enjoy

This is what Maureen wrote ...

"Oh my goodness I have to be honest,I would fondle them rearrange  them and then fondle them some more. I would be so excited. I would take them to my Crazy Quilt Group and they would ohhhh and ahhh and fondle them also. If you ever want to show someone something really cool like this wou want to show  this group they are so good at ohhing and ahhing and enableing. I would share with this group(it would be hard to actually cut the cards)because they would love everything. Eventually I might put some things on a baby quilt and some of the buttons on a Easter themed penny rug I have been thinking about."

Tjomies vintage stationery

After  many countless hours of designing, regrouping, talking, laughing and countless cups of tea Warren and I have launched our Tjomies vintage stationery into cyberspace.. in other words we are live people and can be reached at www.tjomiesvintagestationery.com

Warren (my tjomie/ friend) actually built the website himself from scratch. It was an enormous task and one he took like a real gentleman never complaining and always ( seriously always) with a smile on his face. It is beyond my comprehension how anyone figures such things out - thank goodness one of us is technically savy (in this case savy is the understatement of the century for Warren after completing such a project )

Anyhow we will be at the New York Stationery show for our second year in May.

So in honor of our web launch I thought I would give you a little insight into the wonderful world of Tjomies vintage stationery.

Yes - its true it all started just like this...

 

When our business cards arrived earlier this month we knew we were well on our way ....

 

Our first range we did was the hand embellished series using all the vintage embellishments we have - this was the only range we showed last year at the New York Stationery Show and we had a great response .

Now we have a whole variety of all different styles of cards that we are so excited to show... if you want to have a better look at everything check out our website - oh and please  we would love some feedback so leave a comment if you can.

   

Little thing magazine

I am really excited today. I opened up my mailbox  and there waiting inside was a big brown envelope from Hong Kong with my name on it.

I was contacted a while back from a wonderful editor in Hong Kong saying he would like to do a piece on our shop. The magazine is a fantastic  new fashion publication and is called Little Things.

It is bursting from the seams filled with creative treats and wonderful fashion shoots.... what a feather in our cap to be associated with Little Things... take a look.

 

There is a whole page dedicated to our store...

 I am really excited as I have a real connection to Hong Kong. In my last life before moving to the USA I was a fashion buyer and used to travel to Hong Kong six times a year. I hold it close to my heart its a fantastic city and any mention of it  always causes my heart to skip a beat.

The small details

I have many vintage sample cards of buttons and buckles. I was looking at one today and thinking to myself how with all our technology and modern thinking we do not come close to how perfectly things were done in the good old days -There was so much emphasis on detail.

 

With so much thought given to detail, people must have really taken pride in their work.

I really believe with the world the way it is today and the economic position we are all in it is telling us all something...

 Perhaps we should all stop - breath - and get down back to the basics.

 

The world is moving so fast with us all running around like mice on wheels trying to get a million things done in the few hours we have each day.

 

Just looking at this card and the way each button was hand sewn onto the card ...

.. the way each code was written so neatly , at the exact distance above the red line and just how much pride the person doing  must have had to get it  perfect  makes me think...

as humans we need to take time for the finer details in our lives - time to breath - time to reflect - and all these things together  will add to our creativity.

Easter bunny ears

I  was at The Dollar Store buying Rye Bread ( I discovered the rye bread a while back and have bought it there ever since) anyhow it always amazes me what one can find for a dollar..

I found these really cute fluffy bunny ears.

 

I brought them straight back to my shop and got out  some embellishments to spruce them up.

 

 

I made some cute little bows using the vintage velvet ribbon and on the bows placed these ever so sweet little flowers.

 

Amazing what some sprucing up can do to a pair of bunny ears!!

 

I loved this project as it is really sweet and very inexpensive to do ...and I am sure you will agree that every child needs a pair of bunny ears!

 

Oh so pretty millinery flower headbands - part 2

I had so much fun making the headbands with the millinery flowers that I decided to make a whole range of them in different colors and millinery flowers on some and others novelty trim and hand beaded applique.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                    

                                   

To purchase any of the materials used to make the headbands got to www.accessoriesofold.com

Making pretty headbands with millinery flowers

I know spring is just around the corner.. how do I know?? I know when I see all the birds in the sky, the buds on the trees, the first sign of daffodils and a skip in my walk.

I have decided to honor this time of year making headbands using vintage millinery flowers. What is more refreshing than seeing someone in a lovely sundress, strappy sandals and a flower in the hair.

I took some yellow swarovski crystal flatbacks and choose a off white millinery flower to pair together.

 

 

I then embellished the leaves with the crystal and hot glued the flower to a bright sunny yellow headband.... take a look.

 

 

 

 

A vintage giveaway

Hello. With Easter on its way I decided to put a box of goodies together for a giveaway.

It will be my first giveaway I have done on the blog and I am really excited to see what happens. So for all of you out there in cyberspace - here goes.

 

 

I have taken seven cards of vintage Czech 1930's glass buttons in wonderful condition, three Swiss 1920's cotton kiddies motifs,two vintage organza 1950's German millinery roses and a bunch of white cotton Czech 1920's posies....

(yes ladies hold on before you start hyperventilating) all this can be yours if you answer just one question.

  

  

 

WHAT WOULD YOU DO IF YOU HAD ALL THESE VINTAGE GOODIES?

All you have to do is post a comment and I will announce the winner at the end of the month..

Good luck xxx

Sheep continued - the winner is announced

To all of you who emailed me with ideas of what to do with the sheep I posted - thank you.

 All your ideas were great and it was difficult to decide which one to choose... but choose I had to and so here is my choice.

...and the prize goes to Melissa of Craftgasm.

Melissa had an idea to use the sheep as lid handles for baskets of yarn... what a great idea - just so original.

I will send off the sheep to Melissa this week and will post her idea once it is complete and she has sent me a picture.

Funny  I was looking at Country Living and found this picture of a basket of flowers with two little fluffy sheep in it...really cute too.

                              

Keep a look out for Melissa's sheep creation ...

Jamie Oliver

Once in a while I blog about people that inspire me. Today I came across a article on Jamie Oliver.

For those of you who are not familiar with him ( I cannot imagine there being to many!) he is a chef from England. The great thing about him is the fact that he is down to earth and makes his shows look so easy and so yummy that one wants to dash off and make everything he makes.

I first started watching Jamie Oliver when my son Adam was four. We would sit infront of the television and watch him from start to finish. Now you all know how busy four year old little boys can be but somehow when it came to watching Jamie Oliver's cooking show Adam would sit transfixed to the screen. Since then I have followed his amazing career and have most of his cook books at home.

                                                                      

His first cookbook was called THE NAKED CHEF and since then there have been many others that have followed including two restaurants, a product line  and then of course reshaping the school meals for all kids across Britian... check it out ..

                                                                                   

                 

                                          

                                                                          

                                                

                           

                                            

What I love about all his products is the clever packaging.. simple but speaks to you.

                                

He has two restaurants one called Jamie's Italian and the other one called Fifteen which symbolises the years he has been known... wish he would open up here in the USA.

Anyhow I thought with the economy the way that it is worldwide and everyone no matter where you are is trying to save money I would find a recipe of his that is easy to make, will feed the whole family and not cost a fortune. I came across this one which sounds delicious and is simple to follow.

                            BREAD AND TOMATOE SOUP

 

What you need is :

500g ripe cherry tomatoes

3 cloves of fresh garlic

I large bunch of fresh basil

Olive oil, sea salt and ground pepper

2 x cans of plum tomatoes

2 x large handfuls of stale bread ( not the sliced type a proper loaf of bread)

Steps:

Roast the cherry tomatoes with some of the garlic ,olive oil and sea salt in the oven for 20 min at 350*

Pour some olive oil in a pot and stir in the remaining basil,garlic and tinned tomatoes. Fill the can of the tomatoes with water and add to the pot.

Bring to boil and then let simmer for 15 min.

Tear the bread up into litle pieces and add to pot.

Take the tomatoes you had in the oven and add to the pot together with all juice from the tray.

Give it all a good stir and then remove from heat.

Add 6/7 teaspoons of olive oil and add the torn basil leaves you had put aside to garnish.

Bon Appetite xxx

Vintage style easter gift boxes

 

I just love these vintage styled easter gift  boxes that I just got in from Bethany Lowe. They really have that vintage old fashioned feel to them.

 

They are the real deal and come in a set of three different shapes for  $10.00. All you need to do is email me and I am happy to send them off to you to fill with all your own  Easter treats.

Easter window display part II

... more of the items I put together in my display..check it out . I was really happy with the end result.

 

I had these pale baby blue buckets I had bought with matching water cans which were perfect props..

 

 

 

 

 

This is the end result.... my very own easter window.

 

 

 

Easter window display

Today the weather was absolutely wonderful. It was like a typical spring day and so I thought what a good time to do my Easter window for the shop. I was so happy to unpack all the spring colors which really lifted my spirit after all the grey days we have had lately.

I got out all the wonderful hand painted easter eggs we received from Austria and together with all my other goodies that have been patiently waiting in their boxes got to work...

 

 

What fun with all the little chicks,bunnies and eggs I loved every moment of putting this display together...

 

 

I pulled out all the objects I love and put them all together..

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

..... to be continued xxxxx

Two easy easter dessert ideas- thanks Martha xxx

I was paging through Martha Stewart and saw these wonderful easter dessert treats that are really easy and simple to do .. just loved these ideas so I thought I would share them with you all... thanks to all the brilliant people that work for Martha Stewart coming up with all the endless creative ideas.

                              

This is such a clever idea. They have emptied out the egg shells and filled them with vanilla custard instead. What a cute thing to serve to all the kids on Easter??

                              

Also so simple but very cute.. these sugar cookies in the shape of bunnies embellished with some pink ribbon.

I can make most things but have to be honest when it comes to baking am not going to be winning any prizes..so when I came across these simple but really cute ideas I thought I would share them with all those out there that can craft,paint,make,sew,glue,cut but cannot bake!!

 Thanks Martha!xxx

A hand made easter card

As you know I love anything handmade. I have decided with Easter around the corner I am going to dedicate this week to all different crafts with a Easter theme that any age can make.

Here is a five minute do it yourself Easter card. All you need for this is some eyelet lace,velvet ribbon and a kiddies applique... check it out.

 

I choose this really cute little Swiss vintage bunny applique ( all available on my website) and together with the eyelet lace and velvet ribbon got to work.

I thread the velvet ribbon through the lace to add some color.

  

I then used my hot glue gun and cut it to size and stuck the embellishment on the card.

The card I bought at Michael's craft store. What I love about it is the fact that there is a cut out square to display your own photo to personalise it even more.