Happy Easter!

I wish you all a very happy Easter Sunday! May you spend a great time with your family and the ones you love. I am personally having the most fantastic chocolate feast ^^

Happy Easter!

Celebrating Etsy artists: Photography

The Web can be a great source of inspiration and when I am looking for ideas, nothing inspires me more than looking at other artists' works. 

I am often surprised at the quality of the artworks one can find on Etsy. Today for example, I stumbled upon these fantastic black and white photographs from artists I didn't know before - and I'm glad I found them! Their pictures are all available for sale in their Etsy shops:

Windows by Peraboom, $19.

Oak trees in California by AdamOttavi, $40.

Unknown Pub Manchester by Everythingok, $20.

Bird in flight by Handsartshop, $25.

Kitty by Valeriavacca, $50.

And while I am at it, here are a few pictures from artists I personally like (not on Etsy):

Ice Cubes by Pauline Prenat. More pictures on her page here (website in French).

 

The Necessary Distance (2009) by Morgane Demarchi. More of her artworks on her flickr page here.

 

Untitled (Basilica de Guadalupe, Mexico City) by Carlos A.Vargas Arteaga. You can see more of his works on his website, here.

What do you think about these pictures? And what about you - do you have a favourite photographer or is there a photograph out there that you're especially fond of? If so, please share in the comments below ;-)

New Facebook page!

Just a quick note to say that I opened a new Facebook page!

You can see it here.

Please like this page to get news about my shop, Etsy, this blog and Arts and Antiques in general!

Thanks and see you there!

Ally

Great Etsy treasury by Thelongacreflea: The 1885 Home

robinseggbleun... $78.00	TurtleHillShop $125.00	thelongacrefle... $180.00	EitherOrFinds $35.00
robinseggbleun... $298.00	marypearlsvint... $112.00	Dentwood $40.00	phunctum $10.00
MISSIONMOD $49.00	ohiopicker $24.00	marypearlsvint... $4.95	momentofnostal... $18.00
LizAArt $40.00	ourtimecapsule $45.00	RustAntiques $12.00	SusieQsVintage... $10.00

Just spotted this great Victorian treasury on Etsy: so many fantastic finds!
Congrats to Thelongacreflea :)

April News and Sales!

Some new additions to my collection of British chinoiseries!

Just a little note to say that I have been quite busy lately which is why I haven't posted any entry on this blog for a while :S

I have been looking for new finds to sell in my Etsy shop and have discovered some great things on the way! Among them is this stunning pair of Edwardian vases:

Alton Pottery, Japanese-style pair of Famille Noire vases, c. 1910. For sale here.

Being obsessed with anything related to British orientalism, I couldn't believe my luck! I absolutely love them and will be happy to keep them for a while ;-)

Another great little find:

Hand-painted sparrow vase, signed 'Arnaldo'. For sale here.

A very pretty sparrow vase, hand-painted and signed 'Arnaldo'. I don't know much about this piece but I think it's quite charming :)

There are more new finds on my website, so don't hesitate to take a look! I also have a new April sale with some very good deals.. I 'm in the mood for a little Spring cleaning! :)

Bon appetit! Using still life pictures to decorate your kitchen

When I noticed that a neighbour was throwing away this vintage painting, I couldn't help but ask him if I could keep it. My lovely neighbour was happy with me taking it away and I was excited to have finally found THE picture I was looking for to decorate my kitchen!

Okay, the painting was in a grim frame and had a nice layer of dirt on it. However, it was worth spending time cleaning it as I love the idea of decorating kitchens with this kind of pictures. Here are some stylish kitchens with this type of vintage-style still lifes:

(Above the chopping boards, on the right) Katrin Arens's kitchen, photograph by Jordi Canosa.

Above the stove - from the CountryLiving website.

Susan Jenkins's colourful kitchen / art gallery

On Etsy, one can find any kind of still life pictures, vintage or not, often for a very reasonable price. Here are some of my favourites:

Pomegranate and Turnip, original oil painting by SuzannesStudio, $35.

 

Paint by numbers still lifes by Kitschcafe, $22.

Vintage still life oil on board by Vintagehomerecycled, $31.

 

Something a bit different: beaded still life by LoverlyVintage, $18.

Jalapeno and a Half by Polly Jones, original still life, $50 at PollyPainting.

 

What about you? Do you dream of a vintage kitchen? How would you decorate it? Please share your ideas in the comments below ;-)

Happy leap year day (or the day your girlfriend may propose)

Happy leap year day! 

According to an ancient British tradition, leap years are the only time when women are allowed to propose marriage to men. Some claim that this tradition dates back to the 5th century, when St Bridget of Kildare complained to Saint Patrick about women having to wait so long to get a proposal. Saint Patrick then decided that women would be allowed to propose marriage to men every leap years, thus balancing the relationships between genders in the same way that leap year day balances the calendar.

In 1288, Queen Margaret of Scotland passed a law forcing any man refusing a marriage proposal to offer the poor girl a kiss, £1 or a silk gown (which is quite cheap and insulting compared to the girl's disappointment, I think). In Denmark, he would have to offer twelve pairs of gloves (to cover her shame of not wearing an engagement ring) and in Finland, enough fabric for her to make a new skirt (I don't quite get what is the explanation or symbol behind this tradition, though).

Finally, the traditional way of dressing up for proposing on leap year was to wear breeches. However, probably because of the low success rate, breeches were replaced by a pretty red petticoat.

Personally, I don't give a Mason jar about leap year day. However, good luck to anybody who knows about this tradition and plans to propose today! If it is the case, you may be interested in these Etsy finds:

Pretty 1890s breeches by Greatestfriend, $380.

Red crinoline petticoat by Pistolpoppy, $28.

Vintage leap year comical postcard by Imagesofthepast, $6.

Victorian man wedding ring by AncientAdornment, $70.

And for more comical postcards about women proposing on leap year, take a look at this Slate magazine page.

Happy leap year day to all again!

Great news!

The Hospices in Beaune, Burgundy.

I am finally back after great holidays in France! Unfortunately, because of family obligations I didn't have the time to look for interesting antiques to take back to the UK... Hopefully, next time will be different! Anyway, I spent a fantastic time in Beaune (Burgundy), and recommend it to anyone who's into great food, wine and beautiful landscapes and architecture!

When I came back home, I received some great news from Woolley and Wallis, the Salisbury salerooms: I am going to work in their Asian Art department in April-May! I am so eager to start as it'll be a great opportunity to experience work in a busy saleroom. I'll also learn a great deal about Chinese art and antiques - I am so excited about it! I will keep you posted as it goes ;-)

Website of Woolley and Wallis, Salisbury salerooms

Finally: about my DIY project. I now know what I am going to do with my cast-iron bracket! I need to find the right tools and accessories, but be sure that I'll post some pictures of the final product when it'll be done!

Bye for now, and have a great weekend ;-)

Ally

A week in France!

Just a short post to say that I'm going to France from Wednesday 15 to Tuesday 21! I won't be able to add any new post to this blog during this week; however, I'll keep my eyes open for some French vintage treasures and antiques and I'll share my discoveries (if I make any) here when I'm back!

Have a great week and see you soon!

Ally

New antique DIY project: repurposed cast iron bracket

I finally have access to the Internet again and I am now trading from the other side of Oxford!
To start this new era, I found an exciting antique DIY project:

I discovered this antique cast iron bracket hidden under a bed of ivy in my new garden. As soon as I saw it, I knew it would end up in my studio :)

Now that I have cleaned it, I have a couple of decisions to make:

- do I get rid of the original white paint (half gone), then leave it in rusty colour, or do I paint it again in white (or black)?

- (the fun part) what do I do with it? Here are some ideas:

• use it as a bed ornament or headboard...? 

(image from European Antique Market blog)

(Image from Man_of  Steel on Flickr)

• use it as a banquette arm (love this idea - but difficult as I don't have this kind of sofa):

(Image from Susan Burger Living Beautifully)

• Make some kind of lamp out of it?

(Image from Under Spanish Moss blog)

• or just sell it? :o)

I need your help to decide wisely! What do you think would be the best option? Do you have any other idea about how to repurpose it? Please let me know in the comments below :-)