Treasured Finds: Gorgeous French Fans

I promised you some treasures last week, so I hope I don't disappoint.

My beautiful french fans arrived this week. They are so delicate and not in the best condition and I just love them. They are hand painted on very fine mesh and sit atop gorgeous carved wooden handles.

To keep them out of the way and to prevent more damage, I looped a stitch over the wooden handles onto an open frame that I has earlier backed with an old coffee sack. I am sure they would look beautiful if professionally framed and behind glass, but I am happy with this setup for the moment. They look right at home with my other french pieces, don't you think?

Have you found any treasures lately?

Thanks for stopping by, and enjoy the rest of the week whatever you have planned. Tam x

Weekend Wishes

Enjoy the weekend lovely ladies and kind gentlemen :) T x

Speedwell Fury

This year was supposed to be the year of the caravan - the caravan is yet to be started -  instead it's turned out to be the year of the dragster.

A couple of years back C. bought his first dragster at a local swap meet and he has been collecting and restorating them ever since. In all he has well over 12 bikes + frames. At present we have one bike in the loungeroom, two in the kitchen, one in the laundry along with the additional frames - these are just the better ones in the house!

One of his favourite bikes is his Mk 2 Raleigh Chopper. His next projects include a Raleigh Dominator he recently bought and a Mk 2 Chopper prismatic frame which he just purchased from England. He is also on the lookout for a Sears Screamer.

Here is his blurb of his latest ready to ride Speedwell Fury - with before and after photos.

Speedwell were a Sydney bike company similar to Malvern Star (Melbourne based) both were eventually bought by Raleigh. You don't see them around much. The main Speedwell bikes were Mustang and the Fury. Instead of Sturmey Archer it has Shimano bits also features a rear disc brake. I don't know why they did that it was very hard to source a threaded hub for the disc.

 Here are a few pictures of the restoration. 

Before

 

 

 

After

 

Its good to have a hobby ;)

New Treasures

I hope this posts finds you all well! It's been ages since I popped in last, did you realise I was gone? Just back to say a quick hello and show you a few new pieces too...always the collector!

I've been adding to my Victorian Mother of Pearl Shell Coin Purse Collection

and Jewellery Caskets

Bought a box a clock parts at the tip and rebuild this clock!

A few new Bonzo's, including a hard to find mustard pot

some more ladies

My mannequin now wears a new bridal stand hat. I've run out of room.

Would you believe this chair came from the tip? It dates to around 1850 and is made of papier mache with mother of pearl inlay. Its as light as a feather.

Close up of the japanned papier mache, gilt paint and MOP inlay

Some exciting news, I was commissioned to make Sir Donald Bradman stamp jewellery pieces for the Bradman Museum and International Cricket Hall of Fame, Bowral, NSW. They were posted today, and I hope they do well.

Thanks for visiting! Tam x

Hello to my newest followers! Its nice to have you on board.

Ahoy - lifebouy

Just a quick hello to see how you are all going. It's all go, go, go here, how 'bout you?

On our recent trip to the sea (on a reconnaissance trip to visit our 2nd caravan - more of that another time) we popped into a local garage sale. Good thing we did, because on the counter I spied these beauties.  Lifebuoy souvenirs of the voyage on 'SS Himalaya' P&O Lines, London 1961. Perfect for my sailor doll collection, and only $2 for the pair. Bargain!

Thanks for poppin in, have a wonderful weekend,  Tam x

If you would like to follow along on bloglovin, the link is now on my sidebar.

A Teal Kind of Love

Colours by Dulux

 

Do you have a favourite colour? A colour that you are drawn to time and time again? For me, that colour is teal. All the pictures above are pieces dotted around our home. I'd love to hear yours!

Thanks for visiting and enjoy the new weekend, time does fly.......


~ New Earrings *Heart My Michealangiolesca Earrings* have been added to my blog shop ~ click here for all pieces available~

Collections: Castle Oil Painting

Our walls are a testament to my love of old painting, there isn't a square inch free, and the overflows are packed safely away. Although space is tight, I decided that I would collect Castle paintings after returning from our holiday to England last year.

There is a method to my madness, I have a strict criteria, they must be painted in oil and have some age to them. We finally hung them in the lounge room, though I was hoping to line a wall in the new extension, but that may or may not come to fruition. So up them went.

Did you notice that we have three Windsor Castle paintings?

Can you spot the odd one out (other than the sickly girl with dog print)?

Thanks for visiting,  Tam x

Thank you for the positive feedback regarding my stamp jewellery, only a few weeks left until the markets and I can let you know how they went. 
p.s. Kimmie and Clare, your pieces will be posted out today :)

Collections: Retro Dragsters

There is some serious 'mantique' collecting going on here at the 'ATP' headquarters. More details soon.

 

A Little Cupboard for Little Curios

A little collection has now found its place; interesting little bits and bobs collected over time and cherished for years to come. The little cupboard picked up months ago from the tip has found a new use, a curio cabinet, holding the kids special treasures.

A little duckling, a skull picked up in a paddock, pig tusks, nests and eggs, coral, fossils, gemstones and keepsakes. Even a little piece of chalk from the White Cliffs of Dover.

I bought a little piece of meteorite at work for the kids. Apparently it is 4 billion years old. My work colleague was quite skeptical saying that it would cost well over $20,000 to buy a piece that size to analyse in the lab. I either got a great bargain or a cheap fake. I was willing to take the chance even though they didn't like the coprolite (dinosaur poo!) I bought them.

Penny press coins stamped around England sit in a little tin to bring back happy memories.

Little teeth, kindly left behind by the Tooth Fairy and safely dropped into little jars.

Wishes to all that pass this way, hello to new followers, old friends and new ones. May your weeks be well and your weekends even better! Bye for now, Tam x

Collections: Marvel Legends and Barbie

When Kade was born (2002), Marvel and Toy Biz released the first series of Marvel Legends. I started a collection for him, something that he could keep and put away for a rainy day, unopened of course. I bought as many as we could find, always looking for rare variants, of which we have a few.

The number of Marvel Legends grew with each series, and after some time and hundreds collected, we stopped buying more. We have had them packed away in the cupboard, and Kade has been very good to view them every now and then and put them away. Now 10 years has passed, and some have increased in price. One of his figures alone is now worth $200, a great investment.

Last night he pulled them all out to give them the once over, they will be packed away safely again. I took a few shots.

Not to be left out, India has a small collection of Barbie's, DC comic ones of course.

The kids love collecting things, it's in their blood, from shiny stones to cards, to littlest pet shops to Bakugan, to books, they have collected them all. The only problem is storage!

Do your kids have the collecting bug too?

Thanks for visiting!