A Saturday Flea Market in January

 I want to thank those folks who signed up as followers of my blog, yesterday, at the Grow Your Blog Event.  It was fun to hear from so many different folks and to read all your comments and emails.  I also enjoyed visiting lots of other blogs that I did not even know about.  Thanks so much to Vicki at
 2 Bags Full.  



As I mentioned yesterday in my blog, I was going to attend a local flea market. It was sponsored by our local fire department and they hold several during the winter months.  Most of the vendors are regulars but some folks just use it like a yard sale.  You won't usually find high level antiques and collectibles but it pretty much runs the gamut 

The thing about flea markets is you NEVER know what you are going to find.  The first table inside the door sold Polish Potato bread!!!!!   Yummy!    Behind him were a couple of tables of pies, breads and such along with jelly and jam.  (I didn't take a picture of that table.)

 Here is a picture of a typical table of what I call "flea market miscellaneous.  

If you are a collector there are usually opportunities at these sales.  

Here are some examples of the offerings.

 And this person offered a scrapbook filled with vintage post cards.

Are you a doll collector?  There are usually some to be had.

And how about something a bit unusual....  a clothespin holder.  

These were quite popular in the 30s, 40s and 50s.

  I bought this pile of kitchen towels and such from one of the vendors to sell in my shop. I think most are from the 40s because they were certainly typical items from that time period.

These are just a few of things I saw.  You can buy children's and adults clothing, tools, kitchenalia by the "ton".  And pretty much anything else you can imagine. And there is almost always a kitchen type set up for coffee, sodas and snacks.

It is always fun to look for things you have never seen before.  Do you have a favorite thing to look for at a flea market?

Come back again on Tuesday for Tea Cup Tuesday.  I have already started planning what I will be showing.

Grow Your Blog Party

Welcome ~ Grow Your Blog Party Visitors!

Vicki from    2 Bags Full  is hosting an awesome Grow Your Blog Party hop, and I am joining in  this  year.     Thanks, Vicki, for organizing this event.

I hope you will click on the link and visit

 

If you haven't been here before WELCOME and if you have WELCOME BACK.

I have been blogging for a number of years now.  I took a hiatus last year due to some family and health issues but they are now resolved and I am BACK,

I own a small antique shop and because of that I now participate in  TEA CUP TUESDAY at several blogs around North America.  (Canada and the US)  Go down a couple of blog entries and you will see the links to the other tea parties.

I like to do crafting and quilting so I talk about that some on my blog.  My latest thing is making Felt Flowers.  The current project will always be featured on Wednesdays.  You can see the pictures of the first few flowers if you check in earlier entries.  You can also click on the link on my side panel for Fellowship of Flowers.

I do some gardening in summer months, travel quite a bit around the US and Canada.  

I often visit flea markets and antique shops in our travels and I occasionally report on them on my blog.    I am going to one today and may (if something is worth while) report on it.  You never know what I will find.

So thank you for visiting today.  And check back often.

Fellowship of Flowers continues.............

The Fellowship of Flowers continues.  Here is a picture of my finished flower from last week.  Because I was using a fairly heavy cord for the couching of the yarn around the edges it took quite a while.  It is slow work pulling all that through the various layers.  BUT  I did it.  For my next set
I will probably use something different.  Be sure to click on the pictures to see them better.

And here the first three flowers completed.  Next Wednesday we will receive instructions on the project we will make using the first three flowers.

Meanwhile, this week our fearless leader Michelle started us on a new set of flowers.  The next one will include 6 flowers.  So at the end of Feb. or so we will have another project to begin.  The anticipation is fun.   I have to go through my stash of wool felt, fabric and fibers to select the theme of the next set.  I think I love the "planning" as much as I do the actual work.


We continue with winter here.  The snow comes.  Then it melts, then we get more.  We are presently in the COLD spell so the most recent snow didn't melt.  My husband keeps close tabs on the bird feeders to make sure our feathered friends have all the food they need and they reward us with lots of good birdwatching.    Yesterday we were visited by this Rose Breasted Woodpecker (on the Suet feeder.)  Isn't he beautiful. 

Today he was gone but lots of other birds include the usual amount of cardinals.  Here is a cardinal that is on the honeysuckle vine.  Another bird of some kind has joined him.

Now it is time to get to work on a quilt project I have going AND starting on the next set of flowers.  Please come back next week for Tea Cup Tuesday and The Fellowship of Flowers Thursday.

Tea Cup Tuesday

 

We have made it to the third week in January already and the year is speeding along.  This week I decided to do something a bit different again.  I have this pretty little Brown Betty Type tea pot in my shop.  It is a hand painted vintage Redware Teapot.....   And although most of these seem to have been made in Japan this one is from Canada.  It is a.......

Royal Canadian Art Pottery Vintage Teapot  

  The teapot mark was hard to take a picture of but I did it and hope you can read it.  If not, this is what it says.   Royal Canadian Art Pottery,   Hamilton, Ontario.

After I put this on the tea tray I knew I needed a bit more rugged type cup and saucer so looking around my shop I came across this set of dishes and and am using one of the cups and saucers and a bread and butter place for this week's tea.

They are from a set of china called Fair Winds.  

This set of china is, as the marks indicate, from Alfred Meakin China.  I couldn't find much info on the maker but learned it was bought out by Franciscan China in the 70s I think.  This set was much earlier though.  It depicts scenes from when the China Trade flourished in the US.  Like some other similar sets each different piece of china has a different picture.  This first mark was on the saucer.  The more detailed one was on the back of the plate.

I hope you are enjoying this weeks Tea Cup Tuesday.   Here are links to some of the other sites.

 http://artfulaffirmations.blogspot.com

http://www.marthasfavorites.com/

 

Rose Chintz Cottage

Sandi is celebrating her 4th year blog anniversary this week at:  Be sure to visit for a real treat.
http://sandimyyellowdoor.blogspot.com/

 

 

                                      http://www.antiquesandteacups.info/

  http://blog.bernideens.com

Be sure to come back on Thursday when I will be showing some of the sewing projects I am working on at present including The Fellowship of Flowers.

More flowers in January

            Another Wednesday, another Fellowship of the The Flowers project.    I worked very hard yesterday to finish up the first two flowers so I could be ready for the third one.

   Here are the first two, pretty much done unless I decided to add more but I don't think so....... You can click on them to see more detail.

 Here is a picture of the two finished with the third one that has just been cut out and bonded together.  I hope to start on the stitching of the third one later this evening.

  I am getting curious about the project Michelle has planned for us to use these flowers.  I have to say, working on these small things is very relaxing compared to working on a big quilt project.



Our weather here keeps on a changing.  We had the Polar Vortex with its VERY cold temps.  That was followed by a warming phase that was pretty much a January thaw.  At the moment we have no snow on the ground and unfortunately lots of clouds and gloom.  We NEED sunshine!  I don't mind the cold, especially in Winter because I like to stay inside and do indoor projects. But sunshine would help!

 Last week I went with my husband to visit a guy that sells antique cars and parts.  I took a couple of pictures of rusty old cars I liked.  Yard Art maybe................  well probably not....... but I thought they were were funky.

                                                  I bet this one could tell some stories.


UNTIL NEXT TIME.........................

TeaCup Tuesday in Blue

While the red china I used last week  brings some warmth to a cold January Day this blue seems to sum up more of the cool days we are having.

This Tea Set is from Sadler, one of my favorite Tea Set makers from England.  The pretty red roses add cheerfulness.   And here is the mark from the Teapot.

The cup and saucer I have chosen are from Colclough China, one of my favorite companies. The lovely handpainted blue flowers add a touch of elegance.

I hope you enjoyed seeing the tea things I have chosen for this week.  Be sure to check out the other tea blogs for MORE!!!

And check in on Wednesday to see how I am progressing with Fellowship of Flowers.

 http://artfulaffirmations.blogspot.com

http://www.marthasfavorites.com/

Rose Chintz Cottage  
http://sandimyyellowdoor.blogspot.com/

                           http://www.antiquesandteacups.info/

  http://blog.bernideens.com

Flowers in January

Back again to report on my progress on the Fellowship of Flowers.  I am loving this project.  After I finished the one last week I collected materials up to start on this week as soon as I knew for sure which one we would be doing.
I thought I would get it done yesterday but had unexpected company so am behind.  I now hope to work on it and get it finished by the weekend.

Meanwhile here is the first part, unembellished. 
   And I am also showing it next to the one I did last week so you can see the direction I am heading.

On Tea Cup Tuesday this week I showed the Memory Lane china by Royal Ironstone.  I was checking some the other blogs I follow and discovered this entry from Sweet Bee Cottage .  She was using the plates from the set for her Christmas Table.



While looking out the back window this afternoon I noticed there was a large group of cardinals around the bird feeder... Both Mr. and Mrs.   

 If you look closely in the upper middle section  you will see a woodpecker of some type eating suet, and Cardinals and a Squirrel joining in the fun.

 I love watching the birds in the winter.  Especially the Cardinals.  They seem to have really bright coats this time of year.  Or maybe cause it is otherwise so dreary.