Féte du Travail in Rochefort

It's been a while since my last post (about six months to be completely honest!) but now that the warmer weather has returned so have I!  

I've had a very busy winter working on the renovations of our town house in Cognac with my husband Spike and building the stock levels back up for my Etsy Shop after a very busy Christmas period.

The glorious weather has made us concentrate on the courtyard of our house and to my absolute joy we have installed a second hand fountain that I found online a few months back.  There's still so much to do but having planted up the flower beds it's a good start (although our puss 'Raoul' seems determined to squash my endeavours).

Still very much work in progress but Jakie doesn't seem to mind

This May Day weekend (Fête du Travail) we had a choice of so many flea markets in our region it was difficult to decide which to visit but eventually plumped for a brocante held in the pretty town of Rochefort.

I was delighted to come across some yarn bombing while we were there and long may this trend continue!

The bandstand near the flea market is simply charming

The sun was out and the flea market was full of interesting trucs that I snapped up and are soon to make an appearance in my shop.

An eclectic mix of trucs and so many bits and bobs to sift through

Here's just a small selection of my many buys from Rochefort that are waiting to be processed.

It's a tough job but someone's got to do it!

A Successful Shopping Spree

I am pleased to be able to report that after last week's post I have managed to chiné some trucs that are not made of metal.  I haven't broken this trend completely as the Poêles Nanquette Trivet seen below will attest...

Some advertising material from this wood burning stove company

... however, some of my other buys were a real departure from the norm and none more so that this gorgeous antique Mounted Ostrich Egg (OK so the base is metal but you've go to admit that eggshell is an unusual material). 

I was also pleased to find a couple of wooden items for a change...

... this Little Corker (no, it really is literally a corker... for wine bottles!)...

... and a wonderful vintage Table Croquet Set (the nearest I'll ever get to the gentile game especially as I no longer have a lawn).

I even ventured into buying glassware in the form of this stunning Blue Liquor Set.

But I would be lying if I didn't mention another of my buys which, you've guessed it, was of the metal variety...

... but I'm sure you can appreciate why I couldn't leave this adorable little Safe Money Box behind.

I'm very happy with my acquisitions from last weekend and against all my instincts as a trader I'm kind of hoping my ostrich egg doesn't sell as I love the silly thing already.  At least I can enjoy it for now as it has found pride of place on the mantlepiece of my office alongside my much loved BYRRH sign.

Vintage Tins

When I'm on the lookout at brocantes and flea markets for interesting items of stock for my Etsy shop one kind of truc that always seems to sell well is the vintage tin. 

Whether you have an industrial, country or vintage/retro kitchen nothing looks cooler than a shelf filled with these treasures from yesteryear.  

Here is a selection of some interesting kitchen storage tins that have either passed through my hands in the past or are available for sale now:-

These Banania tins that originally contained hot chocolate were given a second life by the manufacturer by suggesting various different uses on the back, for example thé, sucre, pâtes and in this case café

I sold this charming little selection of vintage storage tins as a group

When I saw this softly faded pasta storage tin I just had to buy it for my Etsy Shop 

Here are some more novelty tins that could be used and enjoyed not just in the kitchen but anywhere in the home:-

This gorgeous English bureau tin was another item destined for my Etsy Shop 

This tin was a particular favourite of mine as it was possible to put a little padlock on it so that precious keepsakes could be kept secret.  I was sorry to see this one go but I'm sure it's found a good home.

This pretty tin was snapped up just a few days after putting it up for sale

See this colourful little greyhound racing tin on my Etsy Shop

Another cute little vintage tin - this one originated from Belgium

A new addition to my Etsy Shop - an elegant floral money box tin

The great thing about vintage tins is that they are a decorative way to store all the little bits and pieces that we all seem to accumulate.  They make great sewing boxes, button boxes, keepsake and trinket boxes and of course can be used for their original use to store biscuits or sweets.

So next time you open a drawer full of 'useful' little trucs you just can't throw away because you may need them one day (referred to as a man drawer in our household!) why not have a sort through and keep these bits and bobs safe in a selection of beautiful vintage tins.