Judy’s Affordable Vintage Fair, Cambridge

I went to this fair last year on a very snowy day, there were hardly any stalls and hardly any buyers.  This year it couldn’t have been more different, it was rammed with stalls and buyers!

I had to be quick to take photos or someone would walk in the way!

One of the things I really enjoy about going to Vintage Fairs is seeing the people who really make the effort and go full out vintage like these little girls!

And the award for the most dapper stallholders goes to these two in their tweed regalia.

Lots of girls were trying on these pretty 50’s numbers in the changing room.

These are not the girls!

 

Another “if you can’t afford it, take a photo of it” moment.  I really liked this little tapestry style purse below, but it was £12 (and I already have lots of tapestry style purses – you knew I was going to say that didn’t you?!) 

It was a very good fair, but it was mainly clothes and to be honest, not that affordable for me so I didn’t buy anything. Not enough cheap tatt for my liking!

Apologies for the quality of the photos which were taken on my phone.

Dolly’s Vintage Tea Parties, Earith, Cambridge

A couple of weekends ago I did a car boot sale to get rid of some of my hoard before moving into my new arty crafty cabin which hubby has built for me at the end of our garden :-).   I met a lady there who has a vintage hire business in Earith called Dollys Vintage Tea Party and last week I went over for tea and a chat and took lots of photos of her lovely showroom where she keeps all her vintage china and props.

We had a lot in common – particularly a passion for collecting – verging on hoarding – which Hayley (aka Dolly) has put to good use by starting her business.

I wished I could move in!

I was really pleased with the size of my cabin until I saw Hayley’s barn which she has converted into her storeroom-come-showroom – hers is twice the size and far more organised and tidy than mine will ever be!       

Mixed Media Collage with Val Pettifer at the Old School Studio

Val Pettifer’s Artwork

In June I attended a very enjoyable two day mixed media collage workshop with Val Pettifer at The Old School Studio in  Whittlesford Cambridge.  It was my first attempt at this sort of art and I thoroughly enjoyed myself.

The following photos take you through the progression of the picture as Val showed us step-by-step.  My picture was based on a photograph I had taken of a market while on holiday in Italy, although the people are cut from  photos I took at a 1940’s weekend:

That’s my mum and son on the bottom right of the above photo!

And this artwork below (which I did before attending Val’s course) is of a rustic cafe in France.

I learned a lot on Val’s course and she was very generous with sharing information and help as well as materials.  I’m thinking of these pictures as a starting point for my art and that I have a little way to go before I develop a style which is completely my own.  That said, it is extremely difficult to judge your own work as all you can see, when you made it yourself, are the mistakes!

I still want to experiment with linocut and collage but haven’t found the time yet so just have the ideas going around in my head at the moment!

These two paintings were exhibited at White House Arts at the Cambridge Open Studios – see my other blog for info on that.

Cambridge Open Studios – White House Arts

Last weekend I exhibited two mixed media collages at  White House Arts as part of  Cambridge Open Studios  which takes place each weekend in July.

I’d had an invitation to exhibit following a creative drawing course I did at White House Arts before Christmas.  My intention was to produce linocut prints as a result of that course but I ran out of time to perfect my techniques and wasn’t happy with the results so I exhibited the collages instead! It was a lovely day and the exhibition was buzzing!

My collages are on the right of this photo – if you would like to see close-ups please see my post about the mixed media painting course I did with Val Pettifer.