Vintage Foundlings

I've been away in Cornwall for a few days and managed to partake in a spot of treasure hunting, so I feel at least I did a little work while I was away! I've found lots of fab jewels to make into pretty things and also managed to find lovely display pieces for the shop and stand.

This post is going to be very visual as I have so many pretty things to show you, and these pics are only the half of it, there's loads more I need to clean and photograph!



A sweet little boy holding a bunny, Sylvac swan vase, miniature jugs, kissing squirrels I love it!



I found some beautiful vintage postcards that I have fancy plans for.



Look at that cute Sylvac dog peeping through.



A beautiful 1930's water jug and glasses that I absolutely love, I have a feeling I might be hanging on to those as they're too lovely to part with.



I think the kitsch white oil burner dotted with vintage rose cabochons is pretty quirky. The cabochons are the original 1950's lucite so this piece has got to be from the 50's or 60's, but don't quote me on that!



The blue beaded necklace is from the 1950's the colour just pops.



The dressing table set is pretty wacky, dating from the 30's or 50's (I can't remember, even though I had a long conversation with the dealer about it), it's a fantastic colour and perfect for the shop. The little dish holding the glitzy 50's earrings is so delicate and dainty with it's blue flower design.

Right, now we move on to the sparkly bits.



I thought the rhinestone ship brooch and the mother of pearl rosary beads (below) would make a pretty pair.



More chains . . .



The little boot charms are fab and I was so pleased to find more tiny key charms, don't worry Shirley I haven't swiped yours!



Odds and sods . . .





More fun 50's pieces, the bright coral coloured bracelet is fab.



This pretty postcard caught my eye as did this amazingly sparkly deco clip.



I managed to find some lead crystal chandelier prisms that really catch the light, perfect for earrings.



And finally at the end of the treasure hunt, a gin & tonic (or two) in the garden is the perfect little treat.

Rob Ryan

I just thought i'd share a few pics of Rob Ryan's work.



My Home by Rob Ryan

I first spotted some of his pieces in Liberty's Christmas window display a few years ago and it was love at first sight! Rob specialises in paper cutting and screen-printing and makes the beautiful intricate pieces that just blow me away.



No Minute Gone Ever Comes Back Again - Rob Ryan

There's a real old fashioned fairytale quality about his pieces, which is probably why they appeal to me so much.



Our Adventure Is About To Begin - Rob Ryan



I Can't Forget - Rob Ryan



You Are My Universe - Rob Ryan

I think this one is my current favourite, now to find the £2700 to buy the original, think I need to make a bit more jewellery .

Random Vintage on the High Street.

The reason i've been so quiet on the blogging front lately is that lots of exciting things have been happening, and it's all been a little crazy to say the least. Random Vintage has found a new home in the centre of Cardiff, or to be specific 28 -30 Royal Arcade, Cardiff. We are in a fabulous new shop called Joie de Vivre based in Cardiff's beautiful Victorian arcades.





There are 12 different sellers based in the shop each one offering something a little bit different. Downstairs there's a more contemporary feel with sellers including Kathryn's wonderful Barefoot Books.



Belinda's Fripp Accessories sourced from France.



Lovely Lisa and Ceri hand make their fab Me & Thee signs.



Jodie Hook makes beautiful handmade contemporary silver jewellery.



Savonnerie luxury soaps and toiletries



and lots more!

Upstairs there's a vintage boutique with a number of fab sellers including moi with my two jewellery ranges (random vintage & random vintage repeatables), quirky random vintage curios & vintage styles decorations (in the shop by the weekend!).





We also have Mel & Debbie with Serendipity Vintage, i've done a few fairs with Mel & Debbie in the past and they sell really beautiful items and have fantastic displays.



Mel has the most gorgeous vintage fashions & accessories and Debbie sources amazing vintage homewares including enamel pitchers, vintage china & fabrics.



Emily Hooper Designs is also based upstairs. Emma makes the most gorgeous bags using vintage fabrics, each bag is handmade and unique and has fantastic attention to detail.



Emma also makes quirky headbands using vintage ties as well as corsages, and reworked vintage jewellery.
Last but not least we have Maggies Dress.



These ladies have an amazingly vast selection of vintage clothes and accessories dating from the 1940's to the 1980's, they really do have something to suit any occasion!



So as you can see it's a shop full of delights with lots more to come, this is only the beginning! My area is currently only half full, simply because I haven't had enough stock to fill the space but i've been a busy bee and have been making lots of newbies to stock the shop, I can't seem to make things fast enough at the moment. Please pop in and say hello, we've had fantastic feedback and it's so lovely meeting new customers!

Photos courtesy of Lisa Audsley and Kelly Weeks Jodie Hook and Savonnerie

Busy, busy, busy!

I've neglected the blog for the past week or so, and have been pretty busy with various things including a little of this . . .



Tewkesbury in the sunshine.

A bit of this . . .



Found treasures - A selection of pretty Edwardian brooches.

A lot of this . . .









Westonbirt Arboretum I took millions of pics at Westonbirt as it was so beautiful with all the blossoms coming out, you can see more on my Flickr! If you get a chance to visit Westonbirt, I urge you to go, it's such a beautiful place.

I also had a peep at these . . .



Broadway



Bourton on the Water

And enjoyed a lot of this . . .



Twig - A beautiful florist in Tetbury



Sassy & Boo - Tetbury

To be honest that is only a handful of things i've been up to, there's more to come.

The Rock Follies Fair in Tewkesbury was fantastic, we had a great day and met lots of lovely new people including the fabulous Michelle & Sally from The Amethyst Angel, two incredibly talented ladies. The lovely girlies from Pegg Lane had gorgeous pieces and Claire from Second Hand Rose had some great vintage clothes at fantastic prices. Random Vintage will be doing the Wave Vintage & Craft Fair in Worcester on 31st July, a fantastic show and we're really looking forward to it.

Other jobs we've been working on include the Random Vintage facebook page, hoorah! Random Vintage now has it's own Facebook page so become a fan and receive exclusive info on news, events and exclusive discounts!

I've also been working on a new summer jewellery collection some of which is now being exhibited in the Milkwood Gallery in Roath.



A new collection will also be going into the Washington Gallery tomorrow, so as the title says it's been 'busy, busy, busy'.

A little break!

Just to let you know that the shop will be closed for a couple of days while i'm away doing the Rock Follies fair and exploring the delights of the Cotswolds, we've got lots of lovely things planned!



Come and say 'hi' at Rock Follies! See you soon.

Pearl Lust

Today i've been having a bead buying day. I haven't bought new beads for a while, i've been finding lots of vintage pieces and making use of those, but when I discovered that a big bead supplier was in town I thought i'd better pay them a visit. They had a huge range of stock in a dazzling array of colours, but I only seemed to be drawn to the pearls.

When I make jewellery, the beads that I reach for time and time again are pearls. I use them in most of my pieces, their creamy luster goes with just about anything and they are a timeless classic. So while everyone else was coming out with baskets full of stones in bright blues, greens, oranges and reds, my basket had a distinctly cream look.



Unfortunately I managed to find the most expensive string of pearls on display,(no matter what i'm looking for I always manage to pick the most expensive thing) and decided I had to have them. They are the gorgeously huge, smooth creamy ones at the front on the pic below.



I think i'll use them to make a necklace for my mum, and then I can borrow it!
Along with the pearls I did manage to find a couple of other strings, some pretty pale pink coral, faceted kyanite and jade barrels, so I do have a hint of colour.

I've also been getting ready for Rock Follies Vintage Fair in Tewkesbury this Saturday.



I'm really looking forward to this fair, it's nice to be going to a different area. We're going to make the most of it and stay a night in Cheltenham and one or maybe even two nights in Tetbury and have a tour of the Cotswolds, visiting Broadway, Cirencester, Bourton on the water etc. Can't wait!
There will be some pretty new summery pieces making their first 'appearance' and I have some new large pocketwatches that i've been busy making up today, pairing them with vintage pearls, charms and keys. So if you're footloose and fancy free on Saturday come along to the vintage fest and say 'hello'!