The weather here in London has been absolutely delightful of late and I quite literally live on the balcony at the moment. When it gets too hot out there I grab a blanket and hit the park as there is usually more of a breeze going on there. Yesterday I sat stitching little bags for my stall and today I was making love-beads for The Mini Festival this Sunday. I've sorted out my rail already and have even managed to complete a stock preview folder on my FB page. I'm feeling rather on top of things for once but it won't last, I'm far too much of a flapping flibbertigibbet ;)
I hadn't seen the geese for a few days but they were there again today. The youngsters are starting to look like adults now, soon I won't be able to tell the difference. All that downy fluff is all but gone. When I get a few spare minutes I'll do a timeline with some of the pics I've taken of them over the past two or so months.
There was a lovely cooling breeze in the park today...
African wax print dress, Handmade Kenyan belt, earrings (all from car boot sales), 80s Pierre Cardin sandals (charity shop), 80s sunnies (eBay) & Handmade African necklace that was a gift from my beloved mother.
...that completely scuppered the outfit pics ;)
The only bad thing about this weather is that my hair goes all funny. I may need to attack it with another dose of Henna before the weekend, either that or hide it under a hat.
This is actually what the majority of my outfit pics look like...the ones that end up on "the cutting room floor" that is ;)
Last Sunday I treated myself to a rare trip to the car boot sales and it was as if the vintage gems had just been accumulating in my absence awaiting my return. I could have bought so much more but it was hotter than an oven and I was really starting to struggle with my bag. Everyone else is canny as a fox, bringing along trolleys and even wheelie suitcases but alas not I. Anyway I had just about spent all my cash after bagging the lot below and I couldn't wait to get back home to put my feet up and relax on the balcony.
When is the best time to bag an autumn/winter coat?
On a baking hot day in the height of summer of course, when no sane person is buying them cause then you can usually take the haggle highway straight to bargain city.
I was over the moon to bag this gorgeous vintage 70s rust coloured chenille coat in near mint condition and this awesome ornately embroidered Moroccan burgundy velvet caftan gown...
This is the rest of my amazing-zing car booty looty...
Vintage 70s psychedelic print maxi dress made in Germany and a wedding worthy frock labelled Pat Farrell for Fiona Dresses...
Two stunning maxi frocks by Jean Varon. I'm starting to build up quite a collection of Varon frocks now...
Two 60s/70s swimsuits, the psychedelic one is labelled Twenka and the floral one is by Berlei...
Amazingly voluminous nylon ruffle petticoat made in the US. I've been after one of these for an absolute age and I bagged this from my vintage trader pal who was there to offload some of her awesome stock...
80s Liberty of London silk scarf that was lurking at the bottom of a £1 bargain box...
I can't wait to wear a couple of the frocks at some point. I am currently taking stock of all my vintage dresses and if you are interested in having a wee peek I have made a folder on my FB page entitled Frocktasia's Vintage Wonderland. It is no where near finished yet but I'll get there eventually.
I'll leave you with one of my all-time favorite singer songwriters Jeff Buckley, enjoy :)
Last Saturday saw the 'Summer Fun' edition of The Dandy Lion Market and Frocktasia was there with a rail full of frocking fabulousness. We've finally got some proper summer weather here in the UK so Erik really had his work cut out trying to tempt the passersby to come indoors.
As per usual Leslie had rounded up a tremendous line-up of fabulous sellers.
To kick off the monthly Dandy post proceedings I give you the lovely Cathy of The Origami Boutique...
Cathy makes beautiful and very eye-catching one of a kind origami jewellery and greetings cards. You may very well be thinking that jewellery made out of paper would not last, especially in a usually rain sodden country like the UK but because of this Cathy chooses her materials meticulously and uses a water resistant finish on all her creations to ensure their durability. She even conducted a home experiment some time ago which involved submersing one of her stunning Full Moon rings in water for a week and lo & behold it did the origami no harm. To keep abreast with what's going down in the world of The Origami Boutique why not like their FB page.
Up next is mother and daughter team Richardson & Richardson who make the most stunning and unique laser-cut keepsake cards for every occasion and funky perspex jewellery. The cards are made from lightweight birch wood and each feature a beautiful design. They also do customized items such as wedding guest books available to order from their esty shop. I was mesmerized by a funky pair of pink piggy earrings on their stall. Why not give them a virtual round of applause for their amazing creative skills by liking their FB page.
The next stall was shared in-between two friends trading as 'Iris and the Moon' and 'Booreki Designs'. At the moment I can't find a website or FB page for either but will update if I do. The stall featured a wonderful pick'n'mix of fresh & funky one of a kind jewellery, cards and original artwork...
I met Lionheart Stationers a couple of weeks ago when we both did The Dandy Lion Pop-up at The Kentish Town Carnival. Primarily they specialize in hand illustrated and bespoke stationary but after sourcing some beautiful fabrics at a recent trip to India they decided to branch into designing beautiful handmade clothes as well. You can peruse their creative wares in their well stocked etsy shop. I was utterly beguiled with this awesome one of a kind jumpsuit and if you are quick off the mark you can bag it for less than £30 in their summer sale.
Annemarie of Bordello Chic loves to roam the world and is always hunting down fabulous materials and fabrics on her travels to make unique scatter cushion covers, shawls and one of a kind jewellery when she gets back to London. How quirky and cute is that little doll necklace...
Who have we here?
That'll be Frocktasia's stall then ;)
I was chuffed to bits when a lovely customer that I first met at the Kentish Town Carnival came back to peruse my rail once more and bought a vintage 70s does 50s Berkertex frock. Despite it being hotter than Honolulu on Saturday (I just made that up, it probably wasn't) Frocktasia had a very good days trading. Frocks and bags proved popular and my bargain suitcase was a tremendous success. I will be replenishing it with loads more vintage & retro goodies for next Sunday's Mini Festival at The Finsbury and I am pleased as punch to also announce that my bestie Leslie (Wunderbar Vintage & Leslie Works) will be there trading on the day too, it'll be fun, fun, fun on a bun!
Lovely Annemarie of She's Got It Made traded at the very first Dandy that Frocktasia was at back in March. Her delightful cats and owls made from fabulous vintage & retro fabrics can't help but to put a smile on your face. She also makes beautiful one of a kind scatter cushions and tote bags. Annemarie travels to the market with a wicker basket full of her smaller soft toys and on Saturday she was approached by someone on the tube that couldn't wait to give a couple of her cats a new home, brilliant!
Maximiliano Dugnani is a very talented painter and photographer that fuses these two modes of artistic expression to great effect. On Saturday he was offering up a wonderful array of cards and prints of his awesome artwork.
Talented artist Merlin Glozier's work is a riveting mix of dark and haunting imagery. On Saturday she was selling prints of her work and you could even get her art on a T-shirt. There's an article featuring Merlin on DazedDigital should you wish to find out a little more about the artist and her work.
Forever beaming that lovely smile right at ya, lovely Mark of Gorgeous Jewellery. Easy on the pocket, cherry picked designer pieces, that's the name of the game. Mark is a font of knowledge when it comes to jewellery designers and is infectiously enthusiastic about his lovely wares. This month he'd introduced a small line of vintage jewellery adverts into the mix. These would be a fabulous addition to any vintage loving gals dressing table. Mark very kindly gifted me with another brilliant brooch by Jonette Jewellery, it's a stunning winged pegasus and I put it on straight away. I'll show it in my next post. Thank you so much Mark, you're simply the best!
Next up is lovely Leslie, the dynamic dynamo behind it all, the fabulous founder of The Dandy Lion Market. Not only does she skillfully organize, tirelessly promote and wholeheartedly host this brilliant event but she's also a magnificent trader too. Every month she rolls out a rail holding vast amounts of vintage and retro fabulousness and table full of vintage and handmade accessories not to mention her wicked scatter cushions. This month the scatter cushions stayed at home to allow a new addition to Leslie Works creations take center stage on the Chesterfield armchair, namely these funky soft toy ducks...
Next we have the lovely Kylie, the creative force behind Nautical Cactus. She makes contemporary jewellery from wood and fabulous printed tote bags. I loved her sugar skull brooches that she decorates using a pyrography tool. Kylie's stall looked awesome & perfectly summery...
Last month I couldn't link to Tilias Teas cause they didn't have a FB page yet but they do now and I just know that they'd be over the moon to get a few more likes on it. They were offering free sampling on the day. Tea in a heatwave...are you mad?! N'ah you see, these ladies are cannier than a pair of city foxes so they served up their gorgeous blends iced. I'm sure that in time they will make their delicious teas available for on-line purchase too.
Downstairs sharing the premium pitch we had two lovely vintage and retro aficionados...
Gorgeous Vinita with her groovy Retro Girl threads & wicked Rocket Girl vinyl and beautiful Alyson of Molly's Vintage bringing along an amazing array of fabulous vintage home-wares, kitchenalia & perfect for summer picnic baskets. I was sorely tempted to bag that awesome orange soda siphon, however I have nine in different colours already, so I decided to keep my money for a rare car boot sale jaunt the day after The Dandy instead. As I had Mark with me most of the day, I could saunter around the market for a bit and really have a look about and a good old rummage. Vinita has got some awesome stuff on her rails and if you are into the whole Twiggy, Swinging Sixties style you couldn't wish for a more perfect seller and stock. As I've mentioned before Vinita also runs an independent record label and will be hosting a record launch for a band called Eat lights Become lights at The Lexington on the 31st of this month.
Gorgeous Shonel of Solace Designs never ceases to amaze me with he creative output. Last month I was bowled over by her fabulous new leather chest plate collars and this month I almost fainted with delight when I saw the latest addition to her stock which she is beautifully modelling here...
There is something almost otherworldly and magical about these neck-pieces and I can think of a whole heap of frocks in the Frocktasia Vintage Wonderland that they would look stunning with. It would be an absolute treat to do a photo session incorporating these. Shonel, nudge nudge ;)
I think Shonel has an awesome creative vision and massive talent to boot.
Which one is your favourite? I simply can't decide, I love them all!
Afterwards a few of us stopped for a wee rest and a cooling drink outside The Oxford before battling on home on the bus in the warm summer evening.
So there you go, that was the July Dandy.
Leslie is taking a well deserved break in August so the next Dandy will happen on my birthday the 7th of September and it is entitled 'Back To School'...can't wait!
Yesterday I went to my first proper car boot sale for six months and came home laden with goodies which I will show you in another post cause I'm about ready to hit the park now.
Here's Billy Idol to sing us out, enjoy :)
Hope you all had a fantastic weekend and to any fellow UK residents I just want to say, don't forget to slap on the sunscreen guys ;)
Right now I'd love to ride out of town with hubby and a tent, hit the coast of Cornwall and just spend a month walking along the cliffs and feeding off the powerful natural energy that place holds.
In the summer I loathe living in a big city. I miss the sea, the sound of waves crashing onto the shore, the lovely smell of seaweed & taste of salt in the air.
This mornings walk to the post office assaulted my nasal passage with a stenchfest of feculence and decomposing scraps from the butcher. Often the street outside looks as if it's been cluster-bombed with dog turds and I find myself almost hopscotching in order to avoid all the filth. Retch-inducing mattresses (complete with piss stains and bedbugs) are just dumped in the street and left for days. The only slight refuge from reeking refuse is the park. Thank goodness for the park!
Thank goodness for its beautiful inhabitants that put a smile on my face every day.
This is Baby Grey that I've mentioned before but he's not so Baby anymore. He should be ready to try those pretty wings of his out soon, I'd love to be there to see it when it happens :)
Today I've been busy preparing my stock for this coming Saturday's Dandy Lion Market...
This month I decided to do something a little bit different and throw a few more separates and some funky 90s clobber into the mix as well. I've been making and revamping stuff for next Sunday's Mini Festival but I'll be bringing a few of the choice bits that I've made along to The Dandy, like this funky PVC leaf necklace/headdress...
I made an even bigger one for someone who likes to make a bold style statement and like me lacks a soft-pedal when it comes to dressing ;)
I got severe cramp in my fingers whilst hand-sewing all those individual leafs together but watching Black Books on YouTube made almost bearable.
Needless to say I'll also be bringing the usual medley of vintage & retro frocks. This one is a newbie on the rail...
Mark isn't working this weekend and has very kindly agreed to assist me on the day, so I'll be able to bring a few more bags and shoes as well.
I'll also be bringing some more of my handmade accessories too.
As I already mentioned I'm trying out some different stock on the rail this month, it's mostly late 80s/early 90s separates...
I would have killed for some of these pieces back in the day, that dead-stock bikini is amazing but I just wouldn't be able to do it justice...much like Madonna it simply demands a young body to cling on to.
I'm bringing a whole heap more but if you want to see the rest of it you'll just have to poodle along to The Dandy on Saturday ;)
To go with the 90s clobber here's Sabrina Johnston to sing us out with a euphorically happy tune, enjoy!
Happy Friday folks, hope you will have an extraordinarily good one.
What a week it has been, my feet have hardly touched the ground.
Both Mark and I were completely zonked out after last weekend but thankfully managed to grab a reasonably restful Monday before charging full steam ahead into Tuesday.
We still try to squeeze in our daily jaunt to the park cause it lifts the spirit and is a great energy booster.
After a smashing Sunday at the Dandy pop-up market, I decided to treat myself to something I've been after for ages...
When my mum went to Morocco in the late 70s she brought back one of these fabulous robes and I remember playing dress-up in it as a kid. Sadly it disappeared in one of our many moves and I've been hankering for another one ever since. It is totally trippy hippie and I can't wait to wear it.
Whilst on the subject of hippies, I've decided to go with a "Far Out" theme for my rail at The Sunday Mini Festival next month. I am currently going hole punch bonkers making one-offs to bring along on the day.
Here's a fringe waistcoat that I made from a 90s suede dress...
I met up with Mike who is organizing The Sunday Mini Festival last Wednesday at the Biddle Bros pub in Lower Clapton for an evening of beer & fabulous singer-songwriter performances by Allegra Shock , Jaime Wyatt , (fellow Swede) Emil Lager and Meg Cavanaugh. Meg is also one of the acts at The Mini Festi :)
Then on Thursday I had another delightful visit from Jo. She came to try on some frocks for a friend in The States. I'd primed my rail with floaty creations and hippie style dresses galore. I even let Jo try on my favourite ever maxi that I was sent by Helga some years ago, she was smitten :)
I still have another meet-up with Jo before she heads back to the US. We are going for a spot of lunch tomorrow and afterwards Jo is taking me to a "secret location"...I'm very intrigued & excited:)
This was the beautiful view outside my home office window on Thursday evening...
On Friday I took some pictures of the geese. This is The Grey family, look how big Baby Grey is now...
There are two pairs of Canada geese, both with two young ones each. The goslings are loosing their down now and two of them are starting to look more like the adults. They are still adorably cute though...
Friday was also Summer Solstice or Midsummer as it is more commonly referred to in Sweden. It is much more of a big deal over in Scandinavia and people like to really celebrate it. I marked the day by wearing this very colourful and summery frock that I wore to my sixth form college graduation back in '92.
It had been raining in the morning and there were lots of snails that had been and still were trailing across the graveled path. I saved a couple by airlifting them to safety and putting them down in the high grass ;)
Happy Midsummer :)
Barbara our friend from Berlin came back from her shiatsu course in Wales and we had a lovely night in with veggie fajitas, red wine & a bunch of old photographs :)
The midsummer moon was magical...
Then along came Saturday and another eagerly anticipated colab with Tangled Wigs.
Sam has just launched her fabulous new Happy Feelin's Collection and a new issue of Tangled Magazine is in the making. Sam brought along four absolutely stunning wigs and I'd put together four festival inspired outfits for the photo shoot. Beautiful Natasha did a grand job modelling and Sam & I shared the camera responsibility. The pics came out brilliantly and I can't wait to see them in the magazine. I had a wonderful time and I absolutely adore working with these fabulous gals :)
After waving Barbara off, I spent the afternoon editing pics. Mark had a boys night out planned with two of his best friends and headed out late afternoon. The three of them came back to the house around 9pm, laden with pizza and beer. We stuffed our faces before heading to the local watering hole for a quick one and then ended the evening by having a wee drinking session in the house before crashing.
I was incredibly happy that unlike last Sunday we could just kick back in the house all day and that is exactly what we've been doing. Mark and I perched ourselves on the sofa, "watched" a couple of DVDs and lazed the day away, blooming marvelous :)
So tomorrow I'm meeting up with lovely Jo and then I have to crack on with preparing my rail for the forthcoming Dandy Lion Market and organizing & promoting the vintage market for The Mini Festival...no rest for those who want things to be wicked ;)
