Cowboys & Custard Christmas Bazaar

Try saying that after a few glasses of mulled wine...!
It would sound more like Crowbars and Crusty kissmas bizarre...

A certain amount of calm has filled the Custard household since the festive frenzy of the fair last weekend..until BAM!!!! ...it hit me like a train... CHRISTMAS.. is looming and I have hardly given it a second thought let alone a first..
So with a rising panic and a hurried list of non inspired pressies.. I hit town this morning to elbow my way through the coach loads that descend on Bath at this time of year... to make for the Christmas Market. Somehow I managed to miss..or was it avoid this last year due to a nasty bug that was doing the rounds.
I felt that I should prepare for this foray into town by wearing my son's rugby kit, shin pads, groin guard and fetching gum guard..but it was hardly necessary as I seemed to be one of few who had descended on Abbey Churchyard in Bath to attend the annual Christmas market...
Not a scrum in sight.... but lots of lovely little cabin style stalls.. selling everything from buttons to bows and lots more....
I tend to find that I don't venture too far these days to do my Christmas shopping.. I much prefer the comfort of my armchair to browse the Internet and to search for the weird and wonderful or downright obscure presents for my family and friends...
SO with this in mind.. I thought I would bring you a little home shopping.. and as Cowboys & Custard is primed with stock for the season.. I am offering the blogging folk.. some of my handmade greeting cards and more...
First off the shelf is this genuine vintage little Bambi lookalike...
He is made of vinyl plastic, stands 4½ " tall and is sporting a jaunty little bell around his neck..
I have two of these for sale at £5 each inc postage and packing..            * 3 Sold.. thank You!      Also on the shelf are these 60's vintage brooch pins.. measuring ½" tall.. There is a cat and mouse, ladybird and puppy dog .. each mounted on a vintage game card.
These are all £3.00 each including postage and packing...one per cardNext up I have a large variety of pocket mirrors.. there are vintage Noddy, 30's hat ladies, Scottie dogs...little girl with blue bow etc... Price £3.50 inc postage and packing..I have lots of the Noddy mirrors which are all one- offs so I can't guarantee which image you will receive..All of the mirror designs can be bought as magnets.... £3.00 inc postage and packing..
There are three 30's Hat lady mirrors or magnets designs.. please specify choice .. Blue Ribbon, Pink Hat.. Feather headdress...
Lastly I have a selection of my badge greeting cards.. These all come with a detachable badge to wear with pride!!!
Each card is supplied with a high quality envelope and comes in a cello bag..
1. Let it snow... Wistful snowman on pale grey snowflake background..£3.00 inc postage
2. Christmas Fairy.. £3.00 inc postage
3. Christmas Star... £3.00 inc postage4. Snowflake snowman £3.00 inc postage
5. Santa Baby... £3.00 inc postage
Before I leave you to empty your piggy banks... I would like to share my latest card designs with you..
These are £2.50 inc postage..
Snip snip snap.. with mother of pearl buttonFlowers need care.. with lucite flower.. while stocks last..
Come to tea with little silver spoon.. real plastic!

And I promise this is the last...
A friend to Flowers.. with wooden ladybird..
If you are tempted by any of these.. please email me!

Now.. back to the grotto for more packing!

Fair comment...

Yesterday was a day.. a day and a half.. a day to remember for a very long time..
I came home .. fell in to the armchair with sheer exhaustion and burst in to tears..
The enormity and events of the day finally caught up with me.. the weeks of preparation and anticipation.. nerves.. excitement and the ultimate meeting of all the wonderful people who made the day so special..overwhelmed me..
They were tears of great happiness and gratitude to all who made our first Vintage & Handmade Fair such a memorable occasion.

The efforts and dedication of all the lovely blogging ladies who attended is to be applauded.
The friendly banter and buzz that filled the hall as soon as people started to arrive from their respective journey's was infectious. It really helped to calm me down as all sense and sensibility abandoned me whilst I was trying to set up my table.. I completely lost the plot at one point and thought.. just throw it on the table and let them rummage! Thanks to Sal.. she came to my rescue and managed to keep me on an even keel...

I know that there will be much said about the event from some of the people who visited and came to be part of our first Fair.. but I would like to say..
a massive thank you to all who did come and support us..in every respect.. I had visitors who had travelled from London to come and see me.. my friends from Bath.. and all the strangers who came up and said hello and how much they had enjoyed themselves.. I am so very grateful..
You all played a part and without you this wouldn't have happened!

I am beginning to sound like one of those gushing actresses at the Oscars.. but there is no other way for me to express my appreciation...
Now it is time for me to hush up .. and let the pictures do the talking...
So on with the show...
Things Handmade... handmade loveliness!


Jane and the Happy Crow..tempting tempting!

Higglety Pigglety..
Hesta.. Green Glamour.. such a sweet lady!

Lovely Lucy Bloom
Talented Jo at Higglety Pigglety and Annie's fabulous ladies at A Saucerful of Secrets
The Lavender House.. Vintage loveliness...
Annie's lovely ladies...
Cowboys & Custard

Carol.. Katherine's Dream ..beautiful needlework..
Liz.. fab vintage from The Washerwoman
A Little Bit Vintage.. from Frances..

Beautiful bunnies.. Nicky ..The Vintage MagpieSue .. Vintage to Victorian.. a cornucopia.
Sublime.. Sea Angels

Sal's ( very colourful) Snippets
My friendly neighbours... Ginny and Alice.. and baby Rufus from The Flour Loft.

And while I am still gushing.. a special thanks to all behind the scenes.. families and friends, Julia and Jayne's daughter for being such troopers in the kitchen serving tea and cake to the hungry hordes all day
.....and last but not least.. thank you Jayne.. I couldn't have done it without you!

Just for the record..

Unless you have joined the Foreign Legion or been living in a bunker for the last four months you will  have heard of the... dare I say it... Vintage & Handmade Fair.
Oh dear..I think I can hear your screams from here!
It has somewhat dominated my life since July and for the majority of the time.. very enjoyably so..other than the recurring dreams where.. the doors open to the public and I turn around to find my stock has vanished... someone has nicked it!! Not convinced there is much of a market for second- hand Cowboys & Custard merchandise!

My family and friends have all listened under sufferance to my endless neurosis about the event.. Can't take any more!

without complaint or removal of hearing aids... I am most grateful ... but there is one person.. who I really feel deserves some recognition.. for their enduring patience and unconditional support..

my beloved man.Man at Cath Kidston

I have a feeling I might be walking to the fair on Saturday when he sees this photo!

He has been such a rock to me .... chauffeuring me around all the various towns to put up posters, taking me to dingy dusty emporiums where I have scavenged for materials, listening to my constant drone about my aspirations, expectations and ruminations on the whole business of organising our first event..
He really should be in line for a knighthood.. a small tin medal at least.. but I fear he will have to make do with a bottle of pop and a kiss from me.

If for any reason you have just returned from the Foreign Legion for a weekend's leave.. then do please come along to our first Vintage & Handmade extravaganza.....
There will be lots of familiar and not so familiar and completely unknown faces there.. lots of talented ladies who have slaved over their art to come along and gather under one roof for what I hope is going to be a fantastic day.. a real meeting of the clan!
So.. hop on a bus, take a train.. hire a bike.. climb aboard your skateboard.. bring a friend on a tandem.. or .. drive your car.. to all the fun of the fair!!

Hope to see you Saturday 10. a.m - 4. p.m Rangeworthy Village Hall.. South Glos..!

Ever closer....

However many ways you say it.. eight, huit, otto, acht ... even whispering it makes no difference.. the truth is there are only 8 days until the Vintage & Handmade Fair..
It seems an age ago when Jayne and I sat around my kitchen table and dreamed up the idea of bringing our blogging pals together for a jamboree.. and now I am watching the hands on the clock whizzing round as the days race ever closer to this long anticipated date.. How does time do that? I swear the hands on the clock move faster some days.. most days!

I find that the sobering events of last week have brought about a time of reflection and inspiration and this week it has been full steam ahead with the scissors, glue and the old think tank!
I have not ventured too far from the kitchen table most days... only to answer the door when the post arrives.
My days have been full and frenzied but above all FUN!I am itching to share the fruits of my labours with you.. the new greeting card designs and numerous ideas that have sprung forth and kept me busy and very content until the printer ran out of ink then the air turned many shades of blue!
Just some of the new items that I have made are these linen print Christmas cards..
I currently have them on my Not on the High Street page. If anyone would like to buy anything from the Cowboys & Custard emporium I will be selling these, amongst many other vintage themed products at the fair..... (at special blogger rates...ssssh don't tell anyone)Basket courtesy of This Vintage Life...I spotted it in Deborah's on-line shop and knew it would be perfect for my display..
One evening I managed to have a dress rehearsal for the fair.. no.. not a new wardrobe of clothes for me.. I wish!.. but a mock up of my kitchen table to see how it will look on the day..
I had a certain amount of help from my little four legged friend.. or was it outright sabotage..?
You will have to wait till the fair if you want to see the results ... though I did promise that I would try and do a live blog from the fair for those of you who will be unable to attend...until logic kicked in... and I realised that there isn't a wifi connection in the hall.. as far as I know!

It is hard to blow one's trumpet quietly.. so I hope this doesn't make too much noise!?
This week saw a 12 year ambition of mine finally come to fruition.. A mention in the hallowed pages of Country Living..
I can't say the phone hasn't stopped ringing.. it hasn't started yet but I really don't mind..
I can now say.. 'As seen in Country Living' .. oh happy day!

In Remembrance

Remembering my maternal Grandfather ~ Georges Lobert ~ who died as a political prisoner in Camp Dora - Mittelbau
There is a street named after him in Ronse.. Belgium  for the other political prisoners who didn't come home..Remembering all ..

For Jane....

The opening scene in Love Actually.. is one of the most moving scenes...
Loved ones.. friends.. families greeting each other with genuine love and happiness.
I find it profoundly moving and always shed tears watching these happy out-takes from life.. real life.. not cameras.. action... life!
It always brings home to me the fact that love does conquer all and we should never forget it!
I frequently find myself saying the habitual goodbyes to my boys in the morning and just now and again a little voice in my head says.. what if they don't come back..?
Last night I received some shocking news...
A friend and neighbour who I had not seen for some time... died suddenly...She was my age!
I had put a note through her door only yesterday afternoon to apologise for not seeing her for weeks..too busy.. life.. you know.. the usual excuses!
I had no idea that I was too late....
I suppose what I want to say is..
Tell someone you love them .. pick up the phone and call your friend... don't put off these small gestures.. They mean so much!