Charity Shopping Online: Oxfam

Pop the kettle on and snuggle up... You can now thrift from the comfort of your own home:

http://www.oxfam.org.uk/shop

Oxfam is an international confederation of 17 organisations working in approximately 90 countries worldwide to find solutions to poverty and related injustice around the world.  It was originally founded in Oxford, UK, in 1942 as the Oxford Committee for Famine Reflief by a group of Quakers, social activists and Oxford academics; this is now Oxfam Great Britain.  In all of Oxfam's actions, the ultimate goal is to enable people to exercise their rights and manage their own lives.  Each organisation works together internationally to achieve a greater impact through collective efforts.   

Oxfam works on trade justice, fair trade, education, debt and aid, livelihoods, health, HIV/AIDS, gender equality, conflict and natural disasters, democracy, human rights and climate change.  It has a number of successful fundraising channels in addition to its high street shops.  

• Over half a million people in the UK make a regular financial contribution towards its work and vital funds are receives from gifts lets to the organisation in peoples wills.  
• Many London Marathon competitors run to raise money for the cause. 
• The organisation provides volunteer stewards at music festivals such as Glastonbury in return for funds. 
• The running of several Trailwalker events in Hong Kong, Australia, New Zealand, the united Kingdom and Japan.  

Christopher McCandless, the subject of the book and film, Into the Wild, donated his life savings to Oxfam before leaving society for the Alaskan wilderness...

Oh blow.

So... During the week I wrote a post declaring my love for few particular pieces of teak that I have been on the hunt for.  A G Plan sideboard and dressing table in particular.  Well on the way home from work today I decided to drive by a local charity shop to see what they had in stock before the weekend. As I entered I passed a couple of nice looking Formica chairs and decided that this was going to be a good visit! Then to my right I caught a glimpse of something very familiar! It wasn't! Oh it was! A G Plan sideboard!  In perfect condition! £80! I was all set to get my purse out until I notice a second sticker on the piece.  "SOLD 7/9/12"  

Oh goodness.  Such disappointment! The most sour part of the story would be that I actually thought to visit yesterday but decided to leave it a day in the hope that they might have more stock in right before the weekend. Crumbs. 

There were plenty of other MCM finds to be had, but after the sheer disappointment that the stars had not aligned to make the G Plan sideboard happen I wasn't in so much of a mood to shop anymore! 

 

Barton Vintage Children's Illustrations

Barton

There is something special about these illustrations but I haven't been able to put my finger on it.  Researching Barton as the artist has been fruitless... Someone must know something about these...

Prints, Prints and More Prints.

3x Butterfly Framed Prints

Chaffinch and the Hedge Sparrow on Garden Daffodil

British Fox and Brambles

Great Tit and Painted Lady

Greenfinch

Thrush

The Nature Notes Collection

Another beautiful day! I woke up early to make the most of the sunshine and caught a little October colour at a bustling car boot sale in Ware! It is one of my favourites and the weather brought out the masses.  It was packed! I tend to wander up and down the stalls and find myself drawn to some and repelled by others.  Books, frames, cameras, art, and china all instantly catch my attention.  Today I ended up picking up two hard back books for £1 a piece from a lady whose aunt had recently died.  One was The Nature Notes of An Edwardian Lady, and the other, The Country Diary of and Edwardian Lady.  The text was originally written in 1905, but published later in 1977 and 1989.  The illustrations inside are absolutely stunning! The paper quality, perfect!  It felt a little criminal to take a craft knife to the pages of these books, but I now have a huge collection of prints that I adore! Whilst browsing I also managed to pick up TEN hard wood vintage frames from a number of sellers.  My intention is to begin framing the new prints and create a collection.  Here is a sneak peek... 

For Sale: 

• 2x Framed Butterfly Prints (SOLD) 
• 2x Framed Bird Prints - Gold Finch and Golden Crested Wren (SOLD)
• 1x Framed Bird Print - White Throats and Nest (SOLD)
• 1x Framed Bird Print - Wren and Hedge Sparrow (SOLD)

Make do and mend - Cigarette cards

I spent a fair few weekends at car boot sales this summer.  I never really go looking for anything in mind, but instead wait to see what treasures I can find.  It must have been June this year when I came across a collection of vintage cigarette cards.  One was a collection of Senior Service Dogs Cards from 1939 and the other was a gorgeous floral collection from a similar period.  I decided to revamp the collections by hand picking selections that worked well together and then framing them myself.  I hunted around the sales for some great condition hard wood frames and here was the outcome:

The process...

I placed the framed dogs collection on ebay right after finishing and to my joy it sold immediately! I plan to put the florals up later today! (no insertion fees this weekend!) 

30°C at Battlesbridge

I have forgiven England for the weather it gave my parents this Summer.... Today is the first of October, shops are full with the knitted items and boots that we would regularly be wearing by this time of year, but nobody is buying. It's beautiful out!  British people really know how to make the most of the weather - I love that! Everyone seemed to be outdoors, enjoying pub gardens, parks, beaches, picnics and bbq's.  

I spent the day between beer gardens and tea rooms at an antiques/craft centre.  Satisfying thirst, and feeding an undeniable infatuation with tea sets and the shabby chic.

Adorable! Needless to say I left full.  Something not so adorable....*Tap* *Tap* Tap* "You know i'll let you pick up anything that you like in here darling... that includes me..." *wink*... Well I couldn't even bring myself to verbally respond when on turning around I find a particularly wrinkled old man shooting the line. I smile politely, make a prediction that he must have been at least 75 and promptly make for the exit. Cheeky.

Some mid-century... Spot the Ercol.  Ercol is a British furniture manufacturer that dates back to 1920.  Later its mass produced furniture found a ready market in post-war Britain.  Ercol items were exhibited at the 1951 Festival of Britain to represent the latest style and fashion in furniture design of the period.