open house this weekend

I've spent the afternoon reorganising the ground floor of my home to accommodate my open house sale this Friday and Saturday. I love playing shop and working out how best to display my designs and vintage finds.

It's lovely to display cushions on sofas and chairs rather than piled on stalls but equally it's fun to place bags on mantelpieces or lampshades lined up on a bench.

When I first started my business in October 2003 I relied almost entirely on these open house sales. My long suffering friends became customers and brought along friends, colleagues and relatives and so it grew.
Now I stand at several events most months as well as seeking out new trade customers but I still love these more relaxed sales. Walking downstairs to sell certainly certainly beats the 5.30 am starts I've been experiencing recently.

I love seeing people I haven't seen for several months and catching up with news, especially after the summer holidays; we'll have a coffee or glass of wine before they browse whats on offer. I enjoy introducing customers to one another and they often recognise people from a previous sale.

A new one for this sale is a competition; the first person to identify how this wooden board was used originally will win a hellish designs voucher. If you want to join in just email me your idea.

I add to my database of email contacts at each fair I attend but if you'd like an invitationto the sale just email me.

Alternatively I will be setting the alarm ready to drive to Manchester on Sunday for the textile fair..details on the left.

Autumnal beginnings

I love September possibly because it often brings the best weather of the summer, although as I write the garden is being buffeted by gale force winds. The first day of the month, last Thursday, seems a distant memory but it was a gorgeous day here with the warmth of a summer against the autumnal colours just showing around the garden. It was lucky then that I had bought a bag of clams at the fish market in town the previous day; although our market has steadily contracted over the years it does still boast good fish stalls and an invaluable haberdasherers.

Looking for a recipe for spaghetti vongole ( I realised I had only ever eaten this in restaurants and had never cooked it) I was pitched into an Italian controversy..rosso ou bianco...Jamie v Nigella. Being married to a tomato phobic helped resolve the debate here. We both enjoyed the clams and I took a pic as never before had leftovers looked so pretty.

The garden with the last rays of sun
The other great thing about September is that as the schools return the vintage fairs all begin again.
I will be busy every weekend of the month and will hopefully see all the friends I've made in the vintage world over the next few weeks. First up is the Country Chic fair this weekend in Ripley..near Harrogate
As I've been standing at these fairs since 2004 I've made lots of friends amongst both stallholders and customers. A small group of dedicated dealers, delicious refreshments, a pretty village setting; it is a perfect recipe for an enjoyable Saturday or Sunday. Many people seem to stay for most of the day browsing and rebrowsing. Visit Polly's website for a list of dealers.

I will be taking this sweet wooden box to sell; as a cat lover I can't resist these when I see them.
The wording says "amidon au chat" and the first time I bought one the French dealer explained that the box was a display piece to advertise the soap inside. Why a cat?..because they are always washing themselves.
Obvious really!

Would make a lovely gift for a cat lover and is a decent size to keep sewing bits, cards etc in.
Just a taste of whats going in the car alongside the usual cushions, lampshades, aprons, jugs and mirrors