Saturday, October 18, 2014

Inspiration Lilac.


Happy Saturday....

l spent a couple of hours last week revisiting my childhood:-) pasting and prettying up this hat box l found at the opshop..... l'm sure most of you have heard of  Thomas Kincade. (Painter of Light), anyway l'm totally a fan, and my son bought me a calender of his work one year....it was so lovely l could never toss it out.....see...who says being a hoarder is bad:-)
My lilac decided to flower this week....just to co-ordinate with Thomas's awesome work:-)   
 
 Shades of purple to mauve... in minutia. 

 
 
 This very romantic firescreen was found at a garage sale....lt was bargain priced as the seller confessed he absolutely hated it and couldn't wait for it to be gone....well what can l say...it's gone!!  
It has a plaque on the back so l was able to do a bit of research on it. Apparently made in England in the mid 20th century. The painting is printed on paper which seems an unusual choice for something that will be sat in front of the FIRE!!
Marie Antoinette print?? 


  More lilac inspiration....Decorology. via flickr.
 
Dusty mauve....Bella Notte Linen. via pinterest. 
Thought you might like to check out the wisteria in full bloom in Mum's backyard...It's climbing over an unused rotary clothesline and you might be able to see the trunk(s) (left of pic) which Mum plaited when it was teeny. 
 
My brother and S.I.Law gave Mum this rusty old car seat and friendship plaque....l just love what she's done with it.... 
 
 
Hope you've enjoyed the post today and are having yourselves an awesome weekend. Thanks so much for stopping by.
 
Til next time.
 
Bron.
 

Sunday, October 5, 2014

Screening The Stall


 l really didn't need another of these screens, since l already have one.....however it was bought cheap at auction and now that it's been painted it'll head out to my stall at the Mill to be sold..... l can't believe l've already had my stall for six months now, and l must say.... it's been interesting for sure.


Some of the people in our complex do really well dealing....l may not be one of them YET but l'm learning every single day.
 l now question every purchase....basing my decision on cost versus sale price and not so much whether l love it, but whether someone else might....also people like quirky and different...it often weirds me out what people will pay money for.
Remember when l first started out, l thought l should only sell what l love, and while that's true to an extent... People love ALL kinds of different things, so a bit of lateral thinking is warranted when buying.
 
 There's around 70-80 stallholders in our complex which is both good and bad... bad 'cos there's SO much competition and SO much to see, but good 'cos some of the more experienced dealers will often pass on awesome tips about where to find good buys and might also share insider knowledge about their specialist fields, which can be useful info when buying the unfamiliar. It's also good 'cos we get lots of people through (including tourists) simply because the venue is so large and well known.
 
 My stall has moved since l began, to another (smaller) location....l find this area much easier to maintain and the light is excellent which is another thing I've come to realise is hugely important....mind you that fact had never even hit my radar until l swapped sites. 
 
Something that really helped sales was to add a glass cabinet for bits that are fragile/small/more expensive. It's completely frameless and well proportioned for the space. Anything too large with heavy wooden framework can be off putting and when there's so many stalls to visit any little thing may deter people from even entering yours.   
 
 l've also painted absolutely every piece of furniture white to reflect the maximum amount of light, it makes for a cohesive stall and l think it makes all the saleable goodies stand out. It's also good to have a clear pathway in and out...... if it looks like an obstacle course....again, people just move on.
  
These (Italian) capodimonte "canisters" were bought at my very first auction....they were in a box as part of a job lot....l would sell them, but l think the damage would deter anyone buying them... but hey l don't mind a bit of damage and enjoy seeing them on my kitchen dresser:-) 
 

 
l now have three seascape paintings....l think that's officially a new collection isn't it:-)  
Also l'm loving these ships in a bottle and hope to add a few more when l come across them.


Gorgeous room inspiration.... aldovega. via pinterest



If you're thinking of opening your own little shop in an antique centre maybe this post will be of help:-).....l hope you're having a fantastic weekend so far. Thanks so much for dropping in for a peek....

Til next time.

Bron.