Charles Diana Anniversary and Market Bargains

 Charles and Diana were married 31 years ago today and I am still collecting the souvenirs from their Big day. I think I have shown a C and D beach towel before but now I have two. Made in Australia by Bradmill I have been told only 50 were made. So only another 48 for me to find then.

 A selection of my C and D wedding plates.

C and D bath towel and soap. Like the beach towels, never to be used of course

Fun day at the local markets yesterday. Starting from the left I bought a tin of pink paint $3, the last doll house soaked up $26 of paint so I need to spend less. An etching of Buckingham Palace $3, very dirty but I cleaned it up. A sticker on the back says Garner-Bennett Ware. There is a firm by that name in Stoke on Trent, maybe it came from there.
A full boxed set of silver plated teaspoons made in Australia by Grosvenor, Pattern Christine and possibly from the 50's or 60's. I paid $1. This from a stallholder who rarely bargains but does have weak moments.
The spoons in front of the box are part of a wedding gift full set of  silver ware. Some of my guests get a bit nervous about the spoons they are given to stir their tea as they think I might have used them to dish up cat food. Now I have lots of good 'never touched cat food' spoons.
There was food I had to buy, some ginger biscuits and a Gramma Pie. My mother made the last gramma pie I ate about ???? years ago. This one is very tasty but I think mum's pie was better.

Now for the locket pictured above. I bought this a few years ago from the same stall holder who sold me the spoons. I'ts a 9ct gold coronation locket in perfect condition, it opens up so I could put pictures inside. The locket was in a box with broken jewellery bits and when I held it up and said "how much" I was told $7. I dropped it in my bag, paid quickly before he changed his mind and walked away with my bargain of the day. It didn't come with the chain but I already had a perfect chain. The same locket in very scratched condition recently sold on ebay for $85. This is one piece of my collection that I do wear a lot.

I bought the Queen Mother new shoes in London from the Bear shop. She has had to make do with plastic Kmart sandals and has never been happy about them. The new shoes are a silvery blue colour and go very well with her blue outfit. The QM loves a small heel on shoes and so loves the look and comfort of this pair.
There is a small bow on the front set with a sparkley diamonte.
I also bought my Camilla bear some new knickers with Hello Kitty pictured on them. Camilla has always complained about her home made undies, I will show her new ones later.

Doll House Updates

 Remember that doll house I bought at the markets last Easter? At last I have finished the renovations and this little house is rescued and ready to be moved on. I don't have space to keep it and will give it to the op shop and hope the house finds a happy new home. I squared off the round top windows so they didn't look as if pigeons should fly in.

 Inside it has been painted, the floor covered and the top room has wallpaper as I think that should be a bedroom, the lower floor has vinyl  ready for a kitchen.

Already waiting is another market find ready for redecoration. This will be my fifth doll house restoration and I have space to keep two, so unless I find a spare room in my 'crowed with royal stuff' house', this one will go to the op shop too. All these houses are the right size for 1/12 scale furniture. 

 This is the doll house I shared with my two sisters when I was a child in 19??.
My younger sister now has the house  and it still has some of  it's original furniture. We all had a turn of having the house for our children but sister M had the most daughters and grandaughters so the house is still a very popular and loved house.

Greenwich Embroiderers and My Sampler

 Back again after another of my blog breaks. On my to do list while in London was a trip to the Greenwich Heritage Centre to see the Millenium Samplers and the Golden Jubilee Sampler. Do a google search to find out full details, they are amazing, also go and see Ruth's blog. For once I didn't plan my day first, got lost and five buses later found the Centre which is in Woolwich. There are 9 samplers starting from Celtic/Roman times up to the Golden Jubilee. All on display in large glass cases except the Jubilee one which I was told was in storage and I couldn't see it. Well!! I begged, pleaded, said I had come all the way from Australia just to see it. It worked, I think they felt sorry for me as I looked a bit bedraggled and wet in my old raincoat. I was taken through the building to the basement, left alone with the sampler and told to take as long as I wanted. I crawled around the floor so I didn't miss a single stitch. I hope there were no cameras in the basement, the staff would have had a good laugh and I wish my photos were a bit better. The samplers are all hand stitched by local women.  

 My Bothy Threads sampler is finished and framed. Happy to have finished this one with so much backstitch then beads and sequins to be stitched but I am happy with the result.

I bought the frame at the op. shop, it had a painting of a Dead Gumtree in a Storm. I wonder if in about 70years time someone will come along, throw out my stitching and rediscover Dead Gumtree in a Storm. I use double sided tape on the back to hold the sampler in place, a piece of old blanket for padding and now will tape calico on the back to tidy it up.

 Charles and Diana would have been married 31years this month. Has everyone forgotten them? There are certainly bargains to be had in C&D souvenirs. Like this clock I bought on ebay, no one else bid and I bought it for an almost giveaway price. A very unusual piece for my collection.

A sad day today, grandson's little green budgie Butter passed away. Butter, shown on the left, joined the family as a very young bird with her partner Fred on 3rd March 2007 and so was over 5 yrs old. I bird sat Fred and Butter for a week 2 years ago when this photo was taken. You gave a lot of joy to the family Butter and will be sadly missed especially by your partner Fred who is still in good health. A private burial service has been held.
                                R.I.P Butter. You will be remembered always.