A New Year, and Lots of Lovely New (Old) Stuff!

Hello friends! Happy New Year!

I have loads of crafty things planned for 2021, including lots of free projects for my blog and newsletter, I am positively itching to get started. I gained so much joy and solace from my creative projects in 2020 and am hoping for more of the same this year. 

Before I launch into my mega crafty To Do list, I'm easing myself into January with some simple "put my feet up on the sofa and listen to an audiobook while I do this" tasks... including getting lots of lovely vintage bits and bobs added to my shops.

Click here to browse everything on my website or over in my Etsy shop.

P.S. My shops are all set up with UK postage only at the moment but I'm always happy to quote for international shipping. UK postage is charged at a flat rate - currently £4 per parcel (no matter how much you buy!), but this will be going up soon as unfortunatrly Royal Mail have just put their prices up.

P.P.S. In case you've ever wondered, buying directly from my shop or via my Instagram sale page is the way that earns me the most money because Etsy don't take their cut of the sale fee, but I know Etsy is very convenient! It's definitely the easiest way to buy my printable PDF patterns as they offer instant downloads).

Stack of Books Embroidery Pattern

Today in "PDF patterns that I'm randomly adding to my shops in the week before Christmas"... an embroidery pattern for book lovers!

This design would make a lovely gift for your book-devouring bestie - you can stitch it as it is, or customise it by adding the titles or authors of beloved books to the spines.

The pattern includes two versions of the embroidery pattern: one with the book page lines added and one without in case you'd prefer to stitch those freehand.

Click here to buy my Stack of Books Embroidery Pattern from my Etsy shop (the file will be available to download immediately after purchase).

More Vintage Enyclopedia Pages

I've been busy taking and editing lots more photos, so I now have some more of those lovely 1950s enyclopedia pages to sell - hurrah!

There's such an interesting mix of topics in these pages, it's been fascinating to see which ones have been snapped up so far. Apart from the large fold-out page, all the pages are approx 17.2 x 24.8cm. You can see more photos, and all the currently available items I'm selling, over on my Instagram sale page or in my Facebook sale group.

"Some of the important breeds of poultry", illustrated by E.C. Mansell. £4 + postage.

A large, fold-out colour plate featuring lots of beautifully illustrated birds. "Migration of British Birds", illustrated by E.C. Mansell. Approx 24.8 x 32.6 cm. £6 + postage.

3 wildlife-themed colour plates from a 1950s encyclopedia. "The queer frilled lizard is ruffled", "Tawny owl, night-watchman of the woods, and "Harvest mice at home in a wheatfield". £1 each plus postage.

Beautiful illustrations of classic stories! Peter Pan, The Arabian Nights, The Blue Bird, Rip Van Winkle, Robin Hood, & The Odyssey. These aren't colour plates, but thinner standard pages from a 1950s encyclopedia. Still wonderful for framing! £2 each + postage.

"Wendy in the Boy's Home in Neverland", illustrated by Gordon Davey. "Aladdin finds the wonderful lamp", illustrated by Eric Hall. And "Moonlight cavern in the palace of night", illustrated by Hazel Frazee. Rip Van Winkle and "Odysseus lured by the sirens' songs", both illustrated by Eric Hall. "Straight flew the arrow to the very centre" illustrated by Hilda Hanway.

 
3 travel-themed colour plates from a 1950s encyclopedia. £1 each + postage. "World famous but sinister landmark of Venice", "Magnificent cataracts of the Victoria Falls", and "Mirrored splendour of the Taj Mahal".

"Queer cactuses and their lovely flowers", illustrated by E.C. Mansell. £3 + postage.

"Some British wild flowers" illustrated by E.C. Mansell. £4 + postage.

"Some decorative examples of Scots tartans", illustrated by E.C. Mansell. £3 + postage.

"Priceless treasures of the Crown Jewels". £3 + postage.

The song "Sur le Pont d'Avignon", illustrated by Yunae Bateman. Please note there are some slight marks on this page, but it's still a lovely thing! £2 + postage.

"Male pheasant's splendid plumage", illustrated by E.C. Mansell. £3 + postage.

"Badges to be earned by Boy Scouts" (on the back: "Badges of merit for senior Scouts"). Please note that both sides are slightly marked. £2 + postage.

 
3 more wildlife-themed colour plates, £1 each + postage. "One of the world's largest yawns", "Glorious display of the peacock's plumage" and "Mandarin drake and his dun-coloured mate".

"Characteristics of many familiar breeds of dog", illustrated by E.C. Mansell. On the back: "Dogs of the farm, field, and home". Both sides are slightly marked. £2 + postage.

 

3 more lovely colour plates: Joan of Arc, Bees, & The Hanging Gardens of Babylon. £2 each. "The peasant girl who saved France", painted by Dudley Tennant. "Worker bees seeking nectar and pollen", illustrated by F. G. Mories. And "Hanging gardens - a marvel of ancient Babylon", illustrated by Marjory Whittington.

Then the last one for now: "Some of the familiar edible and deadly fungi", painted by Marshall Smith. £3 + postage.

Get in touch if you're interested in making a purchase or would like a quote for international postage.  If you're in the UK, 2nd class postage for one of these pages will be £1.40. I'm happy to ship internationally at the moment if you're prepared to wait for your parcel (there may be long delays due to COVID-19 disruption).

Gorgeous Vintage Encyclopedia Pages + Other Loveliness

Two posts in one day! Woohoo!

As well as having some fab new paper packs for sale, I'm also selling some wonderful colour plates from a 1950s encyclopedia and a whole bunch of other lovely things.

 

The encylopedia pages are so delightful and are perfect for framing. I actually have some pages from the same book framed and ready to go up on the walls of my flat... when I finally get round to working out where to hang them, that is! I am so bad at those kinds of decisions.

Get in touch if you're interested in making a purchase or would like a quote for postage. I'm charging the exact postage costs! As I said in my previous post, I'm happy to ship internationally at the moment if you're prepared to wait for your parcel as there may be long delays due to COVID-19 disruption.

First up, those lovely encylopedia pages. All the pages are approx 17.2 x 24.8 cm. Some have sold already but at the time of posting this lot are still available...

"Chrysanthemums of many kinds", illustrated by E.C. Mansell.

Jaguars this time! "Stealthy prowlers of the Amazon forests", painted by Herman Rountree. N.B. this image is darker in real life. It has a lovely moody richness to it! £3 + postage.

I just adore these nature illustrations, and jellyfish are so cool, aren't they? "Jelly-fish: floating invertebrates of the ocean", illustrated by E.C. Mansell. £4 + postage. 

 
Next up: APPLES. This would look so nice framed in a kitchen! "Choice apples for dessert, cooking, or cider". £4 + postage.

I love this one so much: loads of beautiful birds eggs, beautifully illustrated. Just wonderful. "Eggs of thirty-six British birds", painted by Percy J. Billinghurst. N.B. there are some slight marks at the bottom of this page. £3 + postage.

Then here's the last of the bookplates for now... (I've got a few more but need to find the time to take photos of them!) "Delicate forms and colours of the rose", illustrated by E.C. Mansell. On the back: "Climbing, rambling, and cluster roses". £4 + postage.

As well as the book pages, I'm also selling some other nice bits and bobs.

To start us off there's a fab book full of flowers: Floral Designs and Motifs for Artists, Needleworkers and Craftspeople (1984). 136 copyright-free floral motifs in one book! These are all really lovely and could be used for so many different projects. Approx 21 x 28 cm, 80 pages, 260 grams. £5 + postage.

 

 

 

 
Next I've got a really lovely jigsaw puzzle for anyone (like me) who's a big fan of birds! I really enjoyed doing this puzzle, and I love a round puzzle - always an interesting challenge. Vintage birds jigsaw puzzle (1980s). 300 pieces, ONE PIECE MISSING, some damage / old sticky tape / writing on the box. The finished puzzle is approx 41cm in diameter. 320 grams. £2.50 + postage.

 

 

 
This book is so delightful! A great slab of a book to dip into when you fancy it, or to work through slowly soaking it all up bit by fascinating bit. Funny, sad, charming, moving, there's a great mix of stuff in here. Letters of Note: correspondence deserving of a wider audience. A compilation of 125 letters, telegrams, memos and other bits of interesting correspondence! Paperback edition (2016), in nice condition. 368 pages. Approx 1 kilo. 18 x 23 cm. £3 + postage.

 

 

I bought this puzzle because my boyfriend loves lifeboats... but it turns out he's not interested in doing jigsaw puzzles, so I had to do this myself! RNLI jigsaw puzzle, featuring an Arun Class lifeboat at Weymouth in Dorset. 500 pieces, ONE PIECE MISSING (see photos). Some damage ,/ old sticky tape / writing on the box. The finished puzzle is 51 x 35 cm. £2.50 plus postage. 360 grams.

 

 

 
Last but by no means least: a gorgeous big bits of vintage Sanderson fabric, salvaged from some handmade curtains. Some fading at the edges but otherwise in great condition. I think it's 100% cotton. There is loads of gorgeous quality floral fabric here, and Sanderson fabrics are very pricey when bought new!

I've got two sections of this to sell. A: 2 pieces measuring approx 190cm high and 114cm wide, stitched together to make one width (over 228cm) 1050 grams. £30 + postage. B: 2 pieces measuring approx 175cm high and 108 cm wide stitched together to make one width (over 216 cm). 950 grams. £26 + postage.

(Please note I've not washed this but am happy to do so before sending it, let me know xx)

 

 

You can see everything that's currently available over at my Instagram sale account or in my Facebook sale group, and send me a message via my contact form if you'd like to make a purchase. Remember I can post a shoebox sized parcel weighing up to two kilos for just £3.10 in the UK!