Stamp Jewellery: Rings

Coming to the Markets on Saturday.....

Stamp Jewellery: Cufflinks

Over the next couple of days I will feature a few new pieces that will be heading to the Makers Market on the 25th August.

With Fathers Day just around the corner (September 2nd), I made several different cufflinks, from vintage stamps and buttons, to steampunk watch movements. Here is a sneak peek:

Follow your instincts.....

Thank you to the lovely Miss Simmonds for sharing this award. I hope you have all had the pleasure of meeting her, but if you have not passed by her lovely blog, please pop over sand say hello.  I will pass the award on at the end of the post.

I have struggled with telling you 7 interesting things about me that I have not already told. Though how interesting they are is another question. I will, instead, tell a story that happened more than 20 years ago…..

University had just broken up for mid year holidays, and I was driving back home.  It was a 4 hour drive from Wagga Wagga to Braidwood and it was night. I had some car problems on the way home and had to change a tyre around Gundagai.

I had phoned my parents to let them know that I was on the way but would be arriving late. I managed to buy a spare tyre by chance at the service station as the repair shop was closed, but the attendant found me one that would do in an emergency.  I drove another 2 hours without incident.

On one of the back roads, just 15 minutes from Bungendore (45 minutes from home) I had another flat tyre. At the time, there were very few houses in the rural area. I should mention that this was around 11:00 at night and no lights along the road.  I was lucky I bought the extra spare.

I had just finished changing the tyre when an older man (probably 40-50s) pulled over to ask if I needed help. I said that I was o.k., that I had finished and I was on my way. He was not very tall, had dark hair, was driving a small car, something like a Datsun 1200, maybe, possibly maroon. He stood near me and I could tell that he had been drinking.  He wore work pants, shirt and tie.

As I was packing up, he was fluffing around in his car, and then said that he was having trouble starting it. He said he would get a rope to tie onto my car and suggested that I tow his car to get it started. I was feeling uneasy, I got back into my car, locked my doors and wound up my window.

After a few failed attempts, he said that he could not untie the rope as it was tied too tightly and that he would get a knife to cut it.  He continued to fumble around in his boot. I was terrified, I started my car, and drove as fast as I could, with the rope following behind.  I cried all the way to Bungendore where luckily my sister and her family was living, terrified that I would see headlights following me. It was the longest drive of my life.

The next morning, my dad drove over to pick me up and he looked at the rope. It fell from the car when he touched it. It was not tied tightly as the man had proclaimed.

I will never forget that night. I will never know if his intentions were innocent. At that time, alone, 20 years old, on the side of a dark rural road, with alcohol on his breathe and the mention of a knife, I was scared.

We drive past that spot often, I always say, “that’s the hill that I broke down and the guy was going to kill me”.  He was probably a normal guy, driving home from work, pulled over to help and remembers the girl that drove off leaving him stranded on the side of the road. Who knows….

What I do know is, always follow your instincts! Its better to be safe than sorry.

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I have contemplated pulling the pin on my blog lately, you may have noticed that my posts are shorter and less frequent. Lately I just haven't been in the right place to write, but I still have so much to share. I have been a jumble of emotions lately, from high to low....very low but I am trying to find the balance, and not let work dictate my home life.....its hard......very hard.....

I would like to pass this to the lovely bloggers that have kept my embers burning, when I am feeling down, they make my day a little brighter (in no particular order)......

vintageandart (Bron and her amazing mum)

Bella's bag and Happenings at Farleigh

Lucy Violet Vintage

Shabby Vintage Junk

Vintage Jane

Squirrelhaus

Vintage Bird Girl

Crazy House Capers

Hello Vintage

La Maison de Maristella

The Serendipity Cafe

The Romantic Rose

The Polka Dot Petticoat

Bayside Rose

The Old Boathouse

An angel in the garden

Vintage Sweetheart

My nomination list is quite long (more than 15) and I could have added more, though others have already received this award and some are award free blogs. If I have forgotten you, please feel free to take it too, while passing by........Tamara x

Its Snowing!!!

I have been running around like a headless chicken trying to find something to film the snow. It rarely snows in town, the last snow settled in 2008, so we are all very excited! There has been lots of screaming and phone calls......

The snow storm blew over Canberra where it fell at 10:00am this morning, and reached us around 11:00am. It has been raining this morning so no snow has settled, and the temperate has dropped to 2.5 degrees.

Yay!!!

 

Happy Birthday Poppy Bob!

A Chippy Yellow Tray

Oops, I forgot to show you the yellow industrial tray that we picked up at The Woodshed, weekend before last. Kade's Skylander collection now has the perfect home.

Enjoy your week everyone, lets hope this week is better than the last few!!! T x

Treasured Finds

I know I have left you hanging for a few days, so as promised, here are the pictures of recent treasures found. Just a short worded post with lots of photos, enjoy the weekend :) xx

Diary of a House Move

I must thank Deb @ Bee Happy for the lovely pack of goodies that she sent us. Mr ATP lent a helping hand to design the cover for Deb when she was preparing her book, Diary of a House Move. The book is now available for purchase on Amazon, and Deb has recently dedicated a new blog aptly named Diary of a House Move where you can read snippets of the book also.

Deb makes and sells amazing pieces, like the ones you can see here, through her Be Happy Home and Accessories Etsy , Ebay and Folksy stores. The bag above is gorgeous, I am sure you will be thrilled to own one too.

So, a big thank you Deb, I know Mr ATP did all the work but I reaped the rewards. Did you notice the the parcel is littered with birds, how ever did she know??

A Day Trip to Goulburn NSW

One of our favourite places to fossick and poke around is the The Old Woodshed reclamation yard in Gouburn, NSW. With the thought of many treasures to be found, we took a day trip yesterday to find old wares and forgotten gems.

I have added a sneak peek of the treasures that we are now lucky enough to call our own. I will post these and a few more beauties in the following days.

Hope this post has found you all well and you have enjoyed a long and relaxing weekend, Tootles  T x

The Old Woodshed Reclamation Yard

Trish's Trash and Treasure, Tony's Second Hand Goods, Antiques and Old Wares on Sloane Street and the Lilac City Markets

Loaded Dog Hotel Tarago, Old Gulsons Brickworks, Belmore Park Fountain, Old Town Hall

Sneak peek of Treasures found.......

Collections: Castle Oil Painting

Our walls are a testament to my love of old painting, there isn't a square inch free, and the overflows are packed safely away. Although space is tight, I decided that I would collect Castle paintings after returning from our holiday to England last year.

There is a method to my madness, I have a strict criteria, they must be painted in oil and have some age to them. We finally hung them in the lounge room, though I was hoping to line a wall in the new extension, but that may or may not come to fruition. So up them went.

Did you notice that we have three Windsor Castle paintings?

Can you spot the odd one out (other than the sickly girl with dog print)?

Thanks for visiting,  Tam x

Thank you for the positive feedback regarding my stamp jewellery, only a few weeks left until the markets and I can let you know how they went. 
p.s. Kimmie and Clare, your pieces will be posted out today :)