Dresses, Doll's Houses and The Queen Is Dead

Where did that last week go? I would have posted sooner but after Jon took these photos the camera died a death - obviously not able to cope with all that dazzling yellow. We do have another camera, a whopping great pro model bought from a friend a few years ago who, in turn, bought it off another mate. Although it came with the manual neither of us have ever found the inclination to read it and I can't say I'm struck on the picture quality or on the size of the bloody thing. I suppose I'll just have to bite the bullet and buy a replacement for my trusty compact camera some time this week. 

Cher card; 1970s knife pleated mint green sun dress; cotton nightie; vintage tin; poodle scarf; 1970s Boots' make-up bag; massive peacock feather earrings.

Last week Liz and I popped over to Nottingham to meet Curtise & Tania and such was our need for a good old catch -up, a slap-up 'Spoons lunch and a charity/vintage shop rummage that not a single photo was taken. Needless to say I didn't come home empty-handed. Above are the presents Curtise and Tania gave me.

I found this killer Pucci-style cut-out strapless swimsuit in one of the Nottingham chazzas and couldn't resist this classic Vix sleeve chiffon maxi from off a sale rail in the wonderful Hopkinson's vintage emporium.

So what have I been doing with my time during my week-long absence? Messing around with doll's houses, of course! Look, they're breeding....

 I bought The Smiths promo poster behind me from a tout outside a gig in Brum just before The Queen is Dead was released in 1986 ......32 sodding years ago! As I lived in a number of dubious shared hovels when I was younger I took my precious poster to my parents' house for safe-keeping. When I sold a few bits from The Cottage to an antique dealer, he spotted my poster and offered me a couple of hundred quid for it - which of course I turned down, that poster represents my misspent youth. Jon was all mysterious before my birthday and kept disappearing, turns out he'd framed it for me as a surprise. There's a tatty one currently listed on eBay for £595!

On the doll's house front, I've been busy restoring (and de-beigeing) my vintage Lundby. Here's bedroom number one. The partially boxed Lundby Blue Heaven bed, dressing table and wardrobe set were made in 1976 and were a lucky eBay auction bargain, finishing at an odd time on a Bank Holiday. The sink, vase of tulips and chair were part of the bag of furniture which came with the other week's charity shopped doll's house. The mustard doll's house carpet was also from eBay and was a perfect replacement for the grubby original. The pendant light is made from a plug chain, the cap of a bottle of cola and the lid from a tube of glue.

I love how when pleated, paper resembles fabric. I found the swan wallpaper on this website (HERE) and glued it to a kebab stick trimmed with beads from a broken necklace to replicate a curtain rail.

The wall lamps are Indian toothpaste caps, the mini pom-pom trim was salvaged from some fancy Xmas present wrapping. The picture frames were on the walls in my other Lundby doll's house (Oops! That'll be house number four!)

Here's some of my bedroom mini-makes. Thanks to Sarah and Aril who both suggested using beads as perfume bottles which I glued to a super size sequin from an Indian garland. The cushions were made from a 30p sheet of felt and decorated with daisy appliques which I bought from the Asian haberdashery stall on the market a couple of years ago. I knew they'd come in useful one day. The hairdryer was made from a bead, a drinking straw and a piece of knicker elastic.

I've just realised that this dress co-ordinates with the bedroom - no surprise really as I've decorated the entire house in colours I love to wear. In fact I might have to dress to match each of the rooms I'm going to show you over the next week or so.

WEARING: Handmade 1970s chiffon maxi (Hopkinsons of Nottingham); Pewter boots (New, retail sale); Indian choker (Age UK)

Linking to Patti & The Gang for Visible Monday.

See you soon!