welcome to my blog!!!!

Thank you for dropping by....i will be blogging about my life in Devon by the sea-side, decorating my 1926 home, vintage treasure hunting from auctions, charity shops , recycling centres and the good old british car booty!! One mans rubbish is another mans treasure! baking, sewing, painting and probably the weather!!!! enjoy!
claireljinks@hotmail.com


Wednesday 30 June 2010

I love making presents x

I have family coming to visit this weekend and my cousin is bringing his lovely wife Amy who is a very stylish lady with a vintage/retro vibe going on. I love buying presents but I love making them even more!!! I found this lovely pair of pale lemon dress gloves for her..............
Then this beautiful little vintage brooch caught my eye , and I had an idea!

I got out my sewing box and sorted through my fabrics and ribbons and made this little heart to fix the pin to. I hope she likes it!!
I think it's a lovely way to display a piece of jewellery, much better than locking it away in a box or drawer where you can't see it!
Its an idea I am going to remember for Christmas, and I think its so sweet, I am almost loath to give it away....what do you think????

Friday 25 June 2010

breakfast x


They say breakfast sets you up for the day, I never used to have breakfast when I was teenager, but now I love it!!! I have a large collection of china cups, tea-pots, and plates...as well as cakestands, gravy boats, cake plates , cheese dishes...it goes on and on. I love choosing what cup and saucer I am going to use for the day. And although my mother says I am barmy as its too much washing up, I take great delight in my breakfast tray. Although I have lots of matching tea sets, I adore mixing and matching..............here is my breakfast tray from today....a Royal Albert vintage florals Lilac cup, a Royal Grafton side plate, a Lord Nelson tea pot,Crown Regent milk jug, ironstone bowl and a Colclough sugar bowl....and I love it all!!!!! What a way to start the day!!!! Tea tastes different from a tea pot and a bone china cup!!!!
I make any visitors to my house their own breakfast tray and they all love it!! When I mention to visitors that we are having sandwiches for tea, they don't look too impressed, but when I wheel out a complete high tea, with tea pots, china cups, sandwich plates,(all sandwiches must be cut into quarter triangles), side plates, cake stands with cakes and scones and jam and clotted cream....their eyes usually light up with amazement and delight!!!! x x x x x x x x x

Thursday 24 June 2010

treasure finds

More finds have found me! And so has another job!! The jobs are really piling up now, where will I find the time????
I have acquired these two trios via my mother, many thanks!!! They are both Royal Albert Gossamer pattern and made in the fifties she said.x x x x
Then in a quick visit to Oxfam I found this piece of fabric....I had no idea what I would use it for, and thought it would make some nice cushions, but I just had to have it as it had roses on, so home it came with me x
Then my better half came home with two directors chairs, saying he picked them up for me so I could recover them with a Union Jack or something!!!
And a light bulb went off in my head...Rosie director chairs!!! More sewing though!!!!!!!!
The Better Half also came home with this beautiful mirror.....But and this makes me laugh, as the lady who used to live here before me said, my house attracts mirrors!!! At the time I laughed inside and said what mumbo jumbo!!! But it does!!!! People have remarked that I own a lot of mirrors and we have have sold quite a few that we have acquired since we have lived here!!!! So I have no room for this beauty and she is destined for someone else out there, she would look lovely painted white a la shabby chic. x x x
see you soon x x x x

Tuesday 22 June 2010

SUN< SUN< SUN!!



Mmmmmmmmm.I was SUPPOSED to be doing my housework.....but it is such a lovely sunny day and I thought I should just get on with putting a base coat on my new coffee table......as the sun would dry it very quickly and it wouldn't smell the house out!!! AND THEN......seeing as its just so lovely IF I covered my chair I could take in the rays while doing something useful.....well thats my excuse and I'm sticking to it!!!.....housework can wait!!!!!

Monday 21 June 2010

Today I ordered a job lot of wadding off of E-Bay. And boy do I need it!!!! I have quite a few patchwork pieces that need finishing along with cushions too!!!! I had wanted to take up quilting for years and finally got around to it because Madison and Shaun bought me this for Christmas!!!!!
Tubs and tubs of fabric samples, I was soooo chuffed and started straight awayx These are the patchworks that I have completed to date....a stripy blue one for my sea-side guest room
a more modern one....
a beautiful muted rose one, a throw for my front room.....
another throw for my other sofa....
and the throw I have already shown you for my bed I am waiting with bated breath for the delivery man to knock on the door with my wadding so I can get started!!! I have never quilted before and as I sewed all the patchwork pieces by hand I intend to quilt it all by hand too.......wish me luck!!! I have alot of hard work ahead of me!!!!
till next time x x

Saturday 19 June 2010

my next christmas pressie x x x x

As you will recall from an earlier post I mentioned that I was putting away this cup and tea-pot for my christmas pressie....

This is beacuse Madison my eldest daughter, and her partner made me this fantastic table lamp for Christmas last year,
And i am saving red rosie china as they are making me one of these this year, how gorgeous is this.I am sooooo excited x x x They make bespoke to customers orders so let me know if anyone is interested .
till next time x

Friday 18 June 2010

please check out my daughters blog x x x

Hi there please take a look at my daughter Madisons blog......there a lots of pics of my home, espically at Christmas!!! What a wonderful Christmas we had x x x x She just started it this week and would love to welcome you x x x

http://www.councilhousegoddess.blogspot.com/

oh i do like to live besides the sea-side

While out treasure hunting we, on the spur of the moment decided to have an impromptu picnic on the beach at Budleigh.It was so beautiful and sunny and once we had munched our way through all the goodies we had bought, it was pretty hard to get the get up and go to move again!!!!!......











Till next time x

Thursday 17 June 2010

more treaure

Went treasure hunting again today and came home with what I think was a good haul,I visited a flea market which inspired me!! As of today I am buying stock for my own vintage stall. I am also on a look out for a 1940's tea dress to wear when i do my selling.I am a bit scared!!! But I am going to go for it!! What do you think????



some reasonable priced union jack tea towels that i have been looking out for as i have a cunning plan!!!! i intend to try and cover an old retro lampshade i have and i have my eye out looking for a few footstools or old chairs i can cover.
some plaster corbals but i have no idea what to do with them!!!!
a little knitting bag x
a box of vintage drawing charcoals they have a price of one shilling each on them!
one of the sweetest little trios i have seen in a long time x x
a duck egg blue milk jug...cute!


a rosie door plate, i don't think its old but every door should have a flowery finger plate!!!!
this looks like a 30's rings and things saucer

some pretty sideplates,i may use these for making cakestands

a really pretty dressing table tray with two pots, i love anything with a rose!


an art deco plate
Till next time my blogging friends x x x x x x x x

corners of my home

Wednesday 16 June 2010

more finds x

Here are a few pics of my finds over the last few days, i am always on the eye for a bargain x x x

Look at this beautiful teacup.....it's soooooo pretty, i rushed right home, washed her out and made a lovely cup of earl grey tea in her!!!




At long last my coffee table has found me!!! Its just the right size, with just the right legs, with a sand down and a nice coat of paint she will be beautiful!!!!....as it has a nice lip on the top i am playing about with the idea of flowery china mosaic!!! i fancy putting a few made in england makers marks in amongst the flowery bits...what do you think fellow bloggers?



Madison was very excited to have found a selction of vintage buttons for her craft box.

A beautiful art deco serving dish........I can just see my sprouts in butter in this at Christmas....although its best not to say the "C" word around me as i am a Christmas FANATIC!!!!! I get excited just saying the word!!!


See you all soon x x

more finds x

Tuesday 15 June 2010

oh i do like to live beside the sea-side!!!

Had a lovely day at Branscombe Beach and then on to Seaton, beach combed for driftwood for Madison to make a driftwood mirror, a quick trot around the second hand shop for treasures.....will post pics of what we found tomorrow x x x just had to take a photo of a a beautiful heart on a ladies beach hut.....oh how i would love a beach hut!!!!!



Monday 14 June 2010

more treasure!

hello there, i am very excited to see i have some followers!!!!! THANK YOU!!!!
here are a few more treasures i bought from the boot sale on sunday, a couple of rosie trios, a very delicate china cup, and a vintage picture. i also picked up a small crystal lampshade which i gave to my daughter madison for her arts and crafts...she plans to make bird feeders from china cups and saucers with crystal drops. madison is very creative and i will blog later showing the very special christmas present she made...if you love china tea cups you will love it x x
see you all soon x x x