Wednesday 28 July 2010

Stitchcraft Magazine

Stitchcraft magazine was first published in the late 1930's and right upto the last issue in 1982. There are several of these magazines for sale at specialistauctions.com from the 1950 onwards. These magazines are very popular and are sought after by collectors, design students and knitting enthusiasts.

Sunday 25 July 2010

Cute & Colourful Buttons

Hi Folks! This week I have three lots of buttons from my MISI shop to show you.

First is a set of six vintage Czechoslovakian glass buttons in white with pink stripes - giving an overall pale pink look to the buttons. These cost £3.00 for the set.


Next is a mixed set of colourful vintage buttons in bright green, pale turquoise and lilac/blue. Two have painted detail showing a dancing couple in Dutch national costume. These cost £2.30 for the set.

Finally there is another mixed card with a fun assortment of children's buttons including pictures of juggling cats, ducklings in headscarves and a Mickey Mouse-type character, plus four little white flower buttons. This set costs £1.75.


Enjoy the rest of your weekend. And don't forget to check out my shops on Etsy, MISI, Folksy and Love Buttons HQ if you are short of a button or two... ;o)

Wednesday 14 July 2010

Hand Painted Silk Cushion Cover

Hello. I thought I would share with you my latest purchase, from Etsy seller Rosemary of Derwent Textiles.
 
This beautiful cushion cover is made from hand painted silk. Rosemary also makes "wearable art" scarves and accessories and knitted items. Her shop also stocks buttons, photographs and special items sold for charity: well worth a visit!



If you would like a custom designed item for yourself, your home or as a gift, visit Rosemary's own website.

Monday 12 July 2010

Past Present Future - it's a gift at Age Of Aquarius

Never mind an Octopus named Paul being a psychic prophesier.. there is much to be said for trying a bit of prognosticating yourself!

At least, you have four years till the next world cup to practice your skills!


Cast your eye over the AgeOfAquarius and you will see it all clearly.... New Age, Metaphysical, Spiritual, Pagan and Goddess related offerings....

Destiny awaits... at www.specialistauctions.com!

Lucky Japanese Cash Coin x3 Iching I Ching Divination Fortune Telling £1.99

Three Japanese cash coins called "Go-En". These are great prosperity and luck coins for keeping in your purse to increase your financial flow $ >> £ >> >> or for using in I ching fortune readings. "Go-en" is the Japanese word for "Fate" or "Good Luck". For this reason the coin is thought to be the luckiest and people keep it for that good reason and many give this auspicious offering when praying at temples and shrines.

You can also tell your fate and fortune with either Japanese or Chinese cash coins using the ancient system for fortune telling called the I Ching. For that you need three 'cash' coins - the ones with a hole in the middle, as we have here!
http://www.specialistauctions.com/auctiondetails.php?id=1444823



Others might just hold out for a miracle though.. and this religious charm is a favourite of many...

Old Aluminium Miraculous MEDAL Aluminium Mary Catholic Immaculate Conception £0.99


For wearing around the neck, or indeed for a rosary. The text around the edge is in Latin. Regina sine labe originali concepta O.P.N. [Ora Pro Nobis] Queen conceived without original sin [Pray For Us]

This is the Miraculous medal, also known as the Medal of the Immaculate Conception - it is called this because of three apparitions that were said to have been given to Sister/Saint Catherine LabourĂ© in 1830. The story tells that a vision of a child (said perhaps to have been a guardian angel) woke her and summoned her to the chapel, where upon she met and conversed with the Virgin Mary. Mary told her that should would be giving her a mission. In a later vision Mary said: “Have a medal struck upon this model. Those who wear it will receive great graces, especially if they wear it around the neck.”

The first Medals were made in 1832 and were distributed in Paris, France. It was reported that almost immediately the blessings that Mary had promised began to shower down on those who wore her Medal. The devotion spread like wildfire. Marvels of grace and health, peace and prosperity, following in its wake. Before long people were calling it the “Miraculous” Medal - hence its name today.

http://www.specialistauctions.com/auctiondetails.php?id=1446024



Or you could pick up a beautiful Tarot deck and see what your spread reveals....


Medicine Woman Tarot Deck Native American Visionary Cards £9.99


The images are in the Native American fashion. Carol Bridges, the artist has created a postive, harmonic deck that with its gentle pastle drawings, gives all due reverance to the American Indian traditions.

http://www.specialistauctions.com/auctiondetails.php?id=1473529



Failing that, you could just relax, sit back and light some of the best incense in the world.. saying... "Whatever dude!"


Nag Champa Worlds Best Incense Satya Sai Baba £0.99


http://www.specialistauctions.com/auctiondetails.php?id=1473532

Sunday 11 July 2010

More Button Love

I don't know about you chaps, but we have rather dismal weather here today - rain and wind. But it's a good excuse to get on with some lovely creative projects instead of mowing the lawn ;o)

Here are some vintage buttons to get those creative juices flowing! The first mixed set are vintage glass buttons, known as 'moonglows' with a layer of transparent glass above the satiny base layer. They also have stripes and 'baubles' of gold lustre to add the finishing flourish. This set costs £6.00 from Love Buttons at MISI.

I have a set of wonderful, glossy, vintage plastic buttons in a dreamy shade of duck egg green marbled with gold. This set costs £2.50.

Last but not least, is a mixed set of three small vintage studio pottery buttons. Each one has a different glaze - white/cream; cep mushroom brown, and matt ochre. Wonderful to handle - each one a miniature masterpiece.
This set costs £9.00.
Find all sorts of Love Buttons at Etsy, MISI, Folksy and HQ - don't forget, you can combine P&P between sites, so that you only pay one postage charge per order!

Saturday 10 July 2010

A little bit of Lapland


Available now.... at specialistauctions.com




VINTAGE Christmas Table Cloth Mat Red White Snowflake
http://www.specialistauctions.com/auctiondetails.php?id=1446614

A delightful and unusual vintage placemat for the dinner table! Traditionally for Finnish Christmas but beautiful all year round. Would also look gorgeous framed. Measures 25.5cm x 27.5cm. A lovely old style, ethnic piece! £2.99




Saami Boy with Noitarumpu drum Merja Aletta Ranttila Ethnic POSTCARD
http://www.specialistauctions.com/auctiondetails.php?id=1199746

A beautiful postcard, from a painting by Merja Aletta Ranttila, a Saami woman who is famed in Lapland for her art! A little Saami boy in his traditional ethnic costume, wearing his four winds hat and playing his noitarumpu drum.



1m Red Embroidered Flower Ribbon as used on Four Wind Hats
http://www.specialistauctions.com/auctiondetails.php?id=1443139

One metre length of red ribbon which is embroidered with white flowers and blueberries. This is the type of ribbon that is often seen on the Lapland four wind hats. Measures 1.7cm wide. £1.99


RARE Hunka Lunka Shamaani Duo Saami Music Ethnic Yoik CD

http://www.specialistauctions.com/auctiondetails.php?id=1445254


A rare chance to obtain an obscure Saami CD. Hunka Lunka by Shamaani Duo. Shamaani Duo were Jonne Järvelä and Maaren Aikio, but disbanded several years ago. This Hunka Lunka Shamaani Duo CD is full of wonderful atmospheric Saami yoik music! A this musical pairing no longer exists.. these CDs only come up now on the secondary markets. Excellent condition. Used, but played only a few times. A few light marks to the plastic CD container. Totally giftable to the Saami descendant in your life...or maybe just a nice gift to yourself! £14.99

Saami style Reindeer Fur Glove Mitten Mitt KEYRING BLUE
http://www.specialistauctions.com/auctiondetails.php?id=1116735

A mascot for your keyring, keychain, mobile phone or perhaps purely for putting on your Christmas Tree! A miniature copy of a traditional Saami fur mitt. Made from Reindeer fur and topped with colourful felt. 5 cm x 3 cm approximately excluding the loop and ring which makes it 8 cm long approximately. Makes a cute little gift. £3.99



BARBIE DOLL Saami Girl LAPLAND Ethnic NATIONAL COSTUME http://www.specialistauctions.com/auctiondetails.php?id=1188319

Beautifully and very well decorated, this Barbie doll has been dressed using traditional fashions by the ONLY doll manufacturing company in Lapland. The dolls clothing is a blue traditional Saami dress outfit, includes the ladies red hilkka hooded hat and white silky shawl. These are all made by a local seamstress, using Lapland ribbons and felt-wool materials. She is also wearing white legging trousers under the dress and suedette fabric boots. The doll comes in a clear rectangular box. £34.99



UNNI JUMI Lapin Mahtava Noita FINNISH BOOK Shaman Lapland Witch
http://www.specialistauctions.com/auctiondetails.php?id=1291436


Hard back children's book, printed by WSOY 1985. In english it translates as "Unni Jumi, Laplands Awesome Witch" Written by Taru Tolsa-Repo. A rare find and in excellent condition with only light surface scratches, interior pages are wonderful! Fantastic line drawings and beautiful colour illustrations! Size of book is 21.5cm x 29.5cm and has 31 pages. Pictures include reindeer and Saami folk with their four wind hats and puukko knife at hand!



To check out more use the search term: Lapland

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Sunday 4 July 2010

Vintage Buttons Galore!

Hello everybody! I have three very different sets of buttons from Love Buttons HQ for you this week.

The first set is a real 'shabby chic' find. They are made from ceramic/pottery, coated with a green paint. They are like little blocks or bricks with two sew through holes and a simple inset circle around each hole. The paint is worn in places, allowing the terracotta colour of the clay to show through. They will almost certainly have been handmade by a studio potter. They cost £7 for a set of five buttons.

The second set are made from vintage plastic and show a radiating pattern of lines; paler, shimmering brown in the centre and darker at the edges. When held up to the light they are almost translucent in places.

They cost £6.50 for the set.

The final button is one for the collectors, featuring a classical head in profile. The button is made from pressed metal with an attached shank. The background to the head is painted duck egg blue, with red highlights on the hat. A few small spots of corrosion are just showing due to the age of the item. [This button is now sold - sorry!] A similar button is available from my Etsy shop at $4.60.

Enjoy the rest of the weekend folks - especially those 4th of July celebrations for the US readers!

Julia x - Love Buttons HQ