Treasures, Treasures, Treasures.

My friend Liz has pointed out to me that I haven't updated my blog in a little while, so here goes.  I would like to show you some of my favourite treasures and then I want to tell you about a new project inspired by a love of treasure.

About five years ago I came across this...

As you can imagine I was originally drawn to the tortoise on the plaque, but I was also really taken with it's character and style.  It was made by John Clappison in the mid 1970's at the Hornsea Pottery and the technique is know as Muramic.

Before long I was the proud owner of a few other pieces

  

 

 

Unfortunately it would seem that they have now come back into fashion and I can no longer afford to collect them, every now and then I want to kick myself for not buying more over them, but such is life.

Briglin Pottery is also a real favourite of mine and recently that too seems to have become fashionable again.  The Briglin Pottery was set up by two canny women (Brigitte and  Eileen) in the late 1940's, just after the war.  They created unusual and quirky pottery for their time and over four decades the Pottery was responsible for encouraging and show casing the work of a whole host of amazing studio potters.  

In the 70's they were producing large expensive pieces as well as smaller more affordable pieces.  Brigitte wanted people to visit their shop and be able to afford to take something away with them.  Many of the trainees as well as the eminent potters worked on creating cheap little animal figures and money boxes and I love them all.

The quality in the animals did vary somewhat and this is most noticeable in my Owls, but to me they are social history and they represent creativity and the encouragement and opportunity that Briglin provided.

Briglin Owls

 

Briglin Tortoises

Briglin Robin

I love hunting for treasure such as the pieces above and I have a wonderful friend Claire who loves it too!  We happily spend hours browsing shops, fairs and other wonderful places. When we come across a bargain we are stupidly excited.

Anyway when the New Year dawned, Claire and I decided that we wanted to be shopkeepers as well as shoppers and  so we are going into business!  We have rented a small space in Most Marvellous  and we are going to buy and sell treasure and hand made items.  Now when I say a small space, I mean tiny, we are going to have a wardrobe.  We finally found one we are happy with this week, it was in a charity shop and it was just perfect.  Claire had very specific ideas on what we should have and when we saw it, we both fell in love and knew it was the wardrobe for us.  It is being delivered at the end of this week.  We then have to decorate  it and then pictures will follow and I will ask Claire if I can share her story which influenced out choice of wardrobe.

Here are two examples of wardrobes that have already been set up in Most Marvellous, soon the whole room will be full of wardrobes.

This afternoon I got a bit excited and unpacked one of our boxes of goodies that will be going in the wardrobe, I think if I had unpacked them all my lovely friend Claire may  just have had kittens as I am rather clumsy at times, but I just wanted to see how things would look when laid out.  

It is a bit of a learning curve, buying to sell, not only do you have to learn about getting prices right, but what will and won't sell too.  I was buying just what I liked, but I am learning to broaden my criteria slightly.

I am also working on my handmade contributions, I am aiming to make some crocheted cushions, knitting bags and other bits and pieces.  I really need to get a wriggle on I think.  Pricing these type of things has also proved interesting as well as costing them.  That reminds me, if anyone knows of a cheaper version of Rowan Big wool for knitting and felting, please let me know.

Claire is a whizz at making cards and painting ceramics and glass.  She also makes lovely things with beads and I can't wait to see what she comes up with.

 Crocheted Cushions

 

 Knitted and Felted Bag with Crochet Motif, needle felted in place.

So, all tips on making to sell would be most welcome and as soon as our wardrobe arrives photos will follow, as will photos of our mini shop when we finally get it up and running!

Best wishes to you all 

Jane