Paper making

A little while ago I was clearing out some things from the loft, old craft stuff and the like and came across some paper I'd made a few years ago and forgotten about. I made it in the late '90's as part of my Interior Design course.

If you've ever bought posh handmade paper from a fancy shop (much like that pictured below) you'll know how expensive it is.

But paper making at home is so simple and great fun! You need very little equipment ~ just an old blender (I just used mine and then gave it a darn good wash...oops!) paper, a container for your pulp (cat litter tray; works and it's cheap) old towels and j-cloths for removing the water and drying out and a deckle. "What's a deckle Deb?" It's the device that you use to lift your paper pulp out of the water with. You can buy these but they're very simple to make. You need a wooden frame and some fine mesh.

Depending on the size of your pulp container, an old picture frame works well. Take it apart so you're left with just the wooden frame and then staple gun your mesh to it. Remember that your finished sheet of paper will only be as big as your deckle (actually slightly smaller)

I'm not going to go into the method here in great detail because for one, it doesn't make much sense unless you have some pictures to help you along. And I haven't. But google it and you'll soon find out all you need to know. There are also lot's of books on the market and even You Tube has paper making videos. A lot of the stuff out there, in my humble opinion, seems to make it more complicated than it has to be.

It's just a case of tearing up your paper, then whizzing it in the blender with water until it's broken down and pulpy. You can add colour at this point by adding poster or acrylic paint.

Then tip it in your container, slide the deckle in and lift it straight up and out and you should have a layer of pulp on your mesh. You then need to remove the excess water and leave it to dry overnight and you've got paper!

I should say you can also throw in sequins, glitter...anything that will be caught in the pulp. Just experiment! The type of paper you use will affect the finished result too.

To make a shape such as a loveheart in your paper, like that below, you need to cut the shape you want out of another piece of mesh.
You then immerse it in the pulp and when you lift it out you'll have a heart shaped piece which you can then put on top of the piece of paper you've (hopefully) just made.
Clear as mud? Trust me, it's really easy. Just go find some proper instructions!

I made lot's of different colours of paper but the ones here are all I have left. I've used some to make decorative tags to attach vintage buttons to for the website and also used some for card making. If you're at all crafty you'll find umpteen uses for it.

Looking through my paper again reminded me just how much I enjoyed making it and maybe one day I'll make some more...

And now for something completely different...I've added lot's more stock in the Christmas shop
over at This Vintage Life today including some wonderful and rare chalk tree ornaments and lot's of paper ephemera.

I've still got more, would you believe and I'll try and get it all on before Christmas actually arrives but I can't make any promises!
I'm also hoping to upload some general vintage stock this week but it's got left behind a bit as the Christmas items have had to take precedence. I've managed to add a couple of things to the What's New category and as I say, more coming very soon.

I must once again thank all my lovely customers for keeping me busy of late.

I'm off to see Ricky Gervais tomorrow so here's to a good night! I hope he doesn't disappoint (like Steve Coogan...) especially as it's a five hour round trip just to get there...

Christmas shop open and other bit's and doing's...

Edited Thursday: There is new vintage stock just arrived at This Vintage Life too!




Although we can pretend otherwise, Christmas is fast approaching! So there are now lot's of lovely vintage Christmas goodies available at This Vintage Life. I'll be adding more in the coming weeks so remember to keep visiting. I'm really pleased with some of the items I've amassed this year including some very special old tree ornaments...but they're for later! I did intend to upload the Christmas stock a tad earlier than this but it was put on hold due to me being struck down with the dreaded lurgy last week and being fit for nothing for two whole days except staying under the covers, coughing and spluttering and only emerging to drag myself to the Doctor's. Ah, home visit's...remember those? Anyway, on the mend (cough) and nose back to the grindstone etc...etc...time, tide and Christmas wait for no man. Or woman.


Speaking of Christmas (as I'm sure we will be rather a lot now) something else to look forward to is Sloe Gin and I'm giving mine a shake on a regular basis. I'm lucky enough to have a huge Blackthorn bush growing wild just over the hedge at the bottom of the garden so have more than enough sloes for the purpose. For years I didn't dare touch them, not being entirely sure they were sloes although I always suspected it. When I found out they definitely were I could've kicked myself!

Apparently, you're not supposed to wash the sloes so I resort to rolling them in a damp tea towel which seems to work and makes me feel happier! I favour the 'popping them in the freezer overnight' method for splitting the skins. All you have to do then is give them a slight squeeze and pop!

This little fella was lurking in amongst the fruit...

One bottle of (cheap, cheap, cheap!) gin later and ta da...

Only six weeks now until the 'uncorking'.

I've been treating myself to a few bit's and pieces and pretending they're early Christmas presents (from me!) but really it's pure indulgence.

I loved the little chicken (Betty!) brooch so much I went back and bought the toadstool one.

I don't think I'll wear them together although looking at the picture above, it just might work!

I've been after a vintage watch for a while (as has A. but he's very choosy and that's saying something coming from me (!) so it's proving difficult to find one he likes) I fell in love with this little one at a recent vintage fashion fair. It fit's my child sized wrist nicely and although not real gold it is almost a rose gold colour, which I love. Modern rose gold is so brassy! It was a ridiculously cheap few pounds. One happy Deb!

Last weekend at an antique fair I found this 1950's plastic daisy bracelet for very little. I must point out here that I'm not actually a big jewellery wearer, but I'm always drawn to bracelets and brooches. And a nice watch of course. I'm not one for chains and necklaces. For some reason, they just don't seem to suit me. And neither am I bothered about value although I wouldn't turn down a nice antique diamond (hint, hint!)

And now for something completely different...aren't these skeins of embroidery wool just scrumptious? They came from a big box full at a local charity shop and were 25p each. I'm sure you know how expensive these can be, as do I, so I grabbed a handful. I was spending ages picking out colours but there were far too many! I must go back and rescue a few more...
By the way, I love the the term our American friends use for this...embroidery floss. So much nicer!

Would you believe I found these two cuties on consecutive days with only one pounds difference in price? In much the same way as I'm not mad for jewellery I've never much been into dolls or for that matter teddy bears either but I just love these. I think it must be their sweet faces and the little romper suits made of lovely vintage fabrics and look at that tiny crochet trim around their bonnets. They're actually 'squeaker' dolls so it's a good job Jack's deaf or he might think I'd bought him a new toy!

I'll be putting one on the website as it seems daft to have two almost identical. Now, which one should I keep...?

Doddington Hall

Doddington Hall is five miles west of Lincoln and is a wonderful example of an Elizabethan manor house. Since it's completion in 1600, it has never been sold!

The house and garden are certainly worth a visit although I would not recommend the restaurant as it's waaaay overpriced and certainly doesn't cater for the vegetarian!

Shop Update

There are lot's of new items added to the website today including those pictured here and I've also popped a couple of new things in the Vintage Value category.

Lately...

I've been...


framing vintage sheet music...too pretty not to!

finding thrifty vintage bit's such as 50p watercolours...

crocheted cushion covers (the larger two...there is a third!)

Carltonware for £8.00!! Who cares if the spoon's broken?

Charity shop chicken. My find's are few and far between at Charity shops. They're just not as good as they used to be...

Vintage car boot curtains...for £1.00

I've also been enjoying the leaves that are turning...

long shadows and stormy skies...but no rain for over a month!

visiting beautiful places...

as well as indulging in a patchwork project...

making plum jam...

and collecting lot's of tomatoes (with a little help)

revelling in the late roses...

and buying Pansies for some Winter colour.

And not forgetting treating myself to many hours of Autumn viewing...bliss!

and starting to think about you-know-what (groan!)



I've also been busy re-stocking the virtual shelves as t'were at This Vintage Life with lot's of lovely new items.

New arrivals in the shop...

There are lot's of new items in the shop today.
There seems to be a lot of Crinoline Ladies and flowers but who doesn't love both of them?

The 'This Vintage Life' Mannequin

I'm very pleased to be able to introduce you to our new vintage style mannequin that is now available at This Vintage Life.
Who doesn't love those antique Stockman mannequins? But not everybody can invest what is a very substantial amount of money in one to just have it stand in a corner and look attractive. So, when I was looking into buying a mannequin for my own purposes I decided there was no reason why a plain modern mannequin could not be 'antiqued' just like a piece of furniture to give that vintage look we all love but without the financial outlay.

I've taken quite some time to get it right but I'm very happy with how she's turned out. Everything has been hand dyed, painted, printed, sewn or distressed by me! I've had so many positive comments about her that I decided I just had to offer one for sale on the website and so she's available here. We'd both be very pleased if you popped over!