Tax Return!

Well its the end of the tax year and I spent most of yesterday sorting out all the paperwork to complete my tax return.
I vow every year to get it done in April but I just keep putting it off and putting it off.
Boy do I wish I was earning enough to afford an accountant! Then all I would have to do would be to hand over my carrier bag of receipts and they would sort it all out for me.
I know I am not the only last minute Larry because I rang the Tax Office earlier today with a query and the young man at the other end of the phone informed me that he was working overtime tomorrow to help other confused souls like me who were struggling with their self-assessment.
Oh well back to those bits of paper.

New Year New Beginnings

Well it's been a while since I last blogged and reading this back it feels a bit like being in the confessional! I have made a promise to myself that I will try to add something to my blog a minimum of twice a week. But please don't hold me to it!

I am happy to say both my Etsy shops are still ticking over and Christmas saw the print shop in particular doing well http://www.etsy.com/shop/printsandpastimes?ref=si_shop

There has been a lot of interest in the prints I have for sale by Warwick Goble. The soft colours and artistry are charming.

Warwick Goble (1862-1943) was an illustrator of childrens books who specialised in Indian and Japanese themes. He illustrated a number of books including Charles Kingsley's - The Water Babies and Japanese Fairy Tales and I have prints from both those books in my shop.

http://www.etsy.com/listing/84076057/vintage-1910-the-water-babies-childrens
http://www.etsy.com/listing/89303323/vintage-warwick-goble-1923-japanese

I am hoping to add more Warwick Goble prints to my shop later today so please look out for them.

Dress clips were fashionable from the 1920's to the 1950's. They were usually worn in pairs to add interest to the neckline of a sweater or dress or to glam up a plain pair of shoes. Some dress clips were fastened together in a purpose built frame to be used as a brooch.

As a piece of vintage collectable costume jewellery dress clips can still be used to add a touch of sparkle to an outfit.

Try them-

• clipped to a ribbon and used as a choker.
• worn on the collar, lapel or pockets of a dress, sweater or jacket.
• attached to an evening bag or a belt buckle
• on a hairband, beret or hat

The dress clip I am about to list on The Duke Street Duchess shop on Etsy is made from silvertone metal and rhinestones and would give some vintage glamour to any outfit.

Miracle Flintlock Pistol Brooch

Miracle are a British company famous for making Celtic, Scottish and Irish jewellery.

This flintlock pistol brooch was manufactured by Miracle in about the 1960/70s. Made from silvertone metal and with coloured glass stones made to resemble agate set in the handle and barrel of the pistol this brooch is certainly an unusual design.

This brooch is for sale in my Etsy shop.

Stratton Pocket / Handbag Ashtray

Just added a Stratton handbag / pocket ashtray to The Duke Street Duchess shop on Etsy. Although smoking is for most people not politically correct this is a very collectable item for those collectors of Stratton and /or smoking accessories.

Made from godtone metal and with a blue enamel lid this item was made in around the 1950s/60s.

Inside the cigarette rest swings out to reveal the ashtray. Although there is a little damage to the inside as would be expected of an item used for this purpose, priced at £12 this would make an ideal gift for smokers or collectors

Blackberry Picking

Blackberry picking or bramble picking as we used to call it in the area of Scotand where I was born was as much an autumn tradition as trudging through the fallen leaves and searching for conkers.

Any blackberries that made it home were either made into jam or baked with apples to make a fruit crumble.

This gorgeous 1950s print reminds me so much of that carefree time! Entitled Blackberrying you can find it in my Etsy shop

Needlecraft Practical Journal

I am always being asked where I source the vintage prints and items I sell in my Etsy shops. Well we are lucky enough in Alnwick to not only have an excellent auction house-Railtons but to also have Barter Books which is one of the largest second hand book shops in the UK.

I also like to trawl the local charity shops and have come across a few little gems on my travels.

The Needlecraft Practical Journals I have just listed in my Duke Street Duchess shop were a recent find amongst a box of books I bought at a recent auction. They are in excellent condition considering they are more than 100 years old.

The Needlecraft Practical Journal was an Edwardian publication by The Manchester School Of Embroidery. They not only covered a number of vintage needlework topics including crochet, knitting and embroidery but also included a few pages of adverts.

Although I have only listed two for now look out for more in the next few days. They are an ideal buy for anyone interested in vintage needlecrafts and /or Edwardian life.