Welcome....

2014!

Well i can't believe i am posting in 2014 already - it hardly seems a minute since i was welcoming 2013....time flies when you are having vintage fun!

What a year 2013 was - my first ever BBC Good Food Show was fantastic - another two amazing Cake & Bake shows and the professional Cake International show completed my cake expeditions ....all fabulous and i met some wonderful people. 

A few photos of my food and cake show adventures.....

The gorgeous Lisa Faulkner and Mr John Torode - fabulous customers

Cake Stand anyone?

A lovely time meeting up with an old college pal!

We did have time for a spot of afternoon tea...

Strawberry jam anyone?

Of course i can't miss out my wonderful dad!

 

 

It wasn't all Cake though with a return to Kitsch and Stitch in Cranbrook and Vintage & Handmade in Centre MK, Discover Vintage in York and Ripley Castle, Spitalfields and more.....

Added to all that i still found time to be with my bestest friends at the birth of their fourth beautiful son Callan, have a couple of weeks in Fiji as my husband worked there (i was lucky enough to not work but lounge around like a princess!) set up a unit in Halstead Antiques Centre, saw my brother in law and his wife have a beautiful daughter Marleigh, set up another unit in Flax & Twine in the Shambles, York. Waved my baby girl niece off to University,  produce, design and costume a christmas winter wonderland show, saw my other best friend become engaged to the man of her dreams......ermmmmm and i think that is it :)

So....new years resolutions? mmmmmm i always break them so not really - other than the usual - eat less, exercise more...(especially in the light of a wedding in Greece in 4 months time!) and continue on my vintage quest.......more fabulous events to follow!

So adieu for now.....xxx

Cake cake and more cake.....

....at the amazing Cake International exhibition.

 My favourite cake.....amazing!

 The lovely Mish and her well deserved award.....her magnificent wedding cake is below:

 

Dance your cares away.......

 Pooches....

 And of course a Meliguin!

I have ever seen so many amazing creations......so very impressed!
The Simply Vintage stand was very well received and i had a lovely weekend - i even had chance to catch up with a friend from my Drama School days that i have not seen in about 15 years!!

So onto the next challenge - getting the Winter Wonderland theatre show up and running in the Snowdome Tamworth - almost there and ready for opening night/day on Friday.....one giant spider, two huge fluffy monster costumes, two elves and a toy soldier almost finished in 5 days!

Then it is back to the NEC for the huge BBC Good Food Show Winter ........ phew!

Time for a cuppa and....

a slice of Cake & Bake!

It is this weekend - it is back...the monster of a cake show that is Cake & Bake !

Visit us on Facebook for news of  a special show offer!

www.facebook.com/SimplyVintageDesignsUK

Simply Vintage is now in York!

We are sooooo pleased to have a little corner of vintageness in the beautiful The Flax & Twine shop down the Shambles in my gorgeous hometown of York.

The shop sells all kinds of loveliness from haberdashery, pretty gifts, homeware and lots of beautiful hand selected vintage items.

Open everyday the shop also has a tea room with lunches and fabulous afternoon teas. 

We will have lots of vintage homewares, linen and cutlery on show - don't forget to let us know if you would like something specific stocking and we will bring it along!

York is where i was born and bred so to have a little outlet here makes me so very happy - and on such a historic street! My first job at 16 was working on the York Guide Friday tour buses  telling all manner of tourists the history of York including the shortest street with the longest name (Whip-ma-whop-ma-gate next door to the Shambles) and the wonky overhanging street that is the Shambles ( name comes from the butchers shelves that lined the street  - fleshamels ) cor - you don't forget these things do you!!!! I shall not bore you any more......

Some photos of the inside coming shortly...... x

The Do-ya-think-he-saurus....

Cake!

Now, i am no professional cake decorator - but i spend an awful lot of time around cake for work and for eating!!

So for my fabulous friends special birthday i created this little creature and fully enjoyed myself!

I used the excellent Culpitt Cake Decorating Sugar Paste - for a beginner like me it was fantastic to use and so easy to roll and model with......

 Easy to shape thanks to a number of episodes of Cake Boss and Ace of Cakes and their rice krispie treats.....

 The covering was the scariest part - a few crinkles here and there but the paste was amazing to work with and was so easy to fix

 Almost there......

 His crown was made from the paste and some brilliant jewels also from Culpitt - they look great and taste nice too (well i have to try one for the team!)

All finished - Mr Henry the Doyathinkhesaurus.........she loved him!

A Great Yorkshire Show !

Phew what a scorcher!

Last year 6 inches of mud...this year melting stock and a heatwave......not that i am complaining (too much!) It was lovely to see so many people, some lovely new and old customers - but by 'eck it were hot!

Lots of lovely new stall friends this week - a big hello to: 

Wool and Buttons:

 

www.woolandbuttons.co.uk/ 

Beautiful wool, knitting sets and handmade items and they had a visit from the Great British Sewing Bee chap who loved them - exciting!

And the lovely Penny Lindop and her beautiful animal pictures - i wanted all of them!!!!

 www.pennylindop.com/

Parma Violet were opposite with their fabulous animal head wall mounts - again....i wanted all of them plus a pair of foxy slippers 

 

www.parmaviolet.co.uk/

 Mmmmmmm - the fabulous Lottie McPhee's were here too

Oh yes and here am i.......

 My fabulous daddy in the background helping ......

And what next.......the Discover Vintage fair at Ripley Castle near Harrogate on Sunday then a few weeks off to collect and gather for a mad mad mad few months before Christmas!
I am just updating the events page so please have a look to see if our paths will cross!

Coming shortly is a new service i am going to be offering at the larger busy fairs ......watch this space!

BBC Good Food Show Summer...

...a fabulous week!

What a week that was - amazing organisers, venue staff and of course the wonderful customers that visited.....

A lovely feature in the show guide:
 

Some fabulous Celeb shoppers......

 

The beautiful Lisa Faulkner chose some stunning china and cutlery for her next book.

www.lisafaulkner.co.uk

We were lucky to be near some amazing other stallholders....a big mention to Lottie McPhee's and their gorgeous cupcakes, bars and loaf cakes.  www.lottiemcpheescupcakes.com i ate way to many, but worth every delicious calorie!

The lovely Gower Cottage Brownies are amazing and the sent a lovely box to my daddy on Father's Day www.gowercottagebrownies.co.uk ! Next door was the lovely Tim Kinnaird www.macaronsandmore.com - delicious!

Some beautiful sprinkles, decorations cases and accessories from both www.scrumptious.uk.net and www.bakerscreations.com



So, my feet are up - TV is on - cuddles with the pampered pooch and life is good! Cannot wait until the next one......

....next up is the BIG Vintage Fayre at Hedingham Castle followed by the Country Living marquee at the great Yorkshire Show!

xx