Christmas Projects

Hope you're all enjoyed Christmas.  Did anyone get any vintage gifts from you friends and family?  I've had a bit of a break from updating this blog - I've been very busy over Christmas with various vintage inspired projects round my flat.

The first thing I did was make a string of festive hearts Christmas bunting out of last year's Christmas cards.  This was so easy and possibly the most effective Christmas decoration I've ever made.  I created a heart shaped template and used it to draw round the fronts of the cards, cut them out, put some holes in using a hole puncher and then stung them up with some garden twine.  It's a great way to recycle all your old Christmas cards - so if you want to do this for next year, save a few cards that you like best from this year.

I used the money I got for Christmas to buy myself a vintage cupboard for my kitchen.  I'm not too sure how old it is - it's either 1940s or very early 1950s, but when cleaning it out I found a George VI stamp in the bottom, so I'd date it from the 1940s.  I lined all the shelves with brown paper and I'm now using it to store my sheets and towels.  To make them smell nice I've hung up a few handmade lavender bags and now I get a lovely smell every time I open the door!

Also in the kitchen I spent part of Boxing Day removing the 1980s lino off the floor to get back to the original 1950s green floor tiles.  You can see the floor on the photo on the left with the cupboard.  It's in quite good condition after being covered up for thirty years!

By far my biggest Christmas project this year has been up-cycling my mantelpiece.  I'm not sure how old the fireplace is, but it was here when I bought the flat.  It's probably from the 1990s, but being pine, it didn't match any of the dark furniture I've got in the front room.  I didn't fancy stripping it back and re-varnishing it and was thinking about buying a new one.  Then at Harrogate Does Vintage in November we had the furniture up-cycling workshops given by Vintage Rose, who were selling some amazing chalked based paint that you could paint on to anything without stripping.

I liked a colour called Grand Cru and when I asked if it would look like the colour chart they said they weren't sure because no one had been brave enough to buy that colour yet!  Well I like a challenge so bought some.

I was a bit worried when the first coat went on and it was bright pink!  It took three coats (in some places four coats), until I got it dark enough and then I left it to dry over night.

After a couple of days I waxed it with beeswax to make it wipe proof and here's on the left is the final result!  It's now beautiful and it looks like it's made out of rosewood.  In fact the thing I like about it best is it's the exact colour I wanted and it goes so well in the room that it looks like it was always that colour.

If you want to have a go at up-cycling some of your furniture in the same way, then look out for Vintage Rose when they're at our fairs, or visit them at their shops in Selby and Leeds.

If you've been missing our vintage fairs (I know I'm having Britain Does Vintage withdrawal symptoms!), then don't forget we're back on 26th January at Ripon Cathedral for our first vintage wedding fair!  It's all very exciting!  More details soon.

York Does Vintage at Christmas!

Yes it's nearly here!  YORK DOES VINTAGE AT CHRISTMAS!!!  

We're back at the Merchant Adventurer's Hall on Sunday 2nd December where we can promise you all the things you love about our fairs, but with added extra Christmas sparkle!

We have forty vintage stalls. selling clothes, homeware, kitchenalia, and lots Christmas inspired items that will make perfect gifts for your friends and family.  As well as all of that we've got our regular York tearoom from the fab Yorkshire Teas, who will be selling Christmas treats and a special blend of Christmas tea.  We've got our Lindy hoppers from Pure Lindy back again giving dance workshop through out the day.  You can learn some new moves for the Christmas party!



This time we don't have just one craft workshop - we've got three!

Capricorn Creations are doing jewellery demos.  You can have a go at making a beautiful ring like the one in the photo on the right.  For a mere £1 it's the perfect party dress accessory or would make a great present for someone.

To book a place, email nowandthenevents@gmail.com. Sessions are at 11:00 - 11:45, 12:15 - 1:00, 1:30 - 2:15, 2:45 - 3:30 and 4:00 - 4:45

There's also a cake decorating workshop with Cakes by No More Tiers (York), and the wonderful Granny's Sewing Box, is doing a bunting workshop.  How good will your Christmas be with a vintage inspired decorated cake and home made bunting decorations?

The bar this time is provided by Perfection Beauty York.  Prices are as follows:-

Makeup - £5 + lashes £7
Hair - £5
File and Polish - £7
Eyebrow shape - £5
GELeration soak off gel polish application - £10
 
Perfect bit of pampering if you've got a Christmas party coming up soon.

And that's not all - there's a vintage style photo booth run by Vector-Photography.com, and live singing from Phil Lyons and the New Vintage Band.  You can see Phil in the photo on the left entertaining the shoppers at our last fair in York.  He'll no doubt be doing a few vintage Christmas tunes!

You get all of this for the entry fee of £1!  We're at the Merchant Adventurer's Hall from 10:30am to 5pm.  You could spend all day there because we've got Christmas covered!

Don't forget that it's York's St. Nicholas Fayre from Thursday onwards.  They'll be lots of things to do in town including a pop-up vintage shop at the Inkwell on Gillygate, on Friday 30th November to Saturday 1st December.  So you could have a whole weekend of vintage shopping!

Newcastle Does Vintage 17/11/2012 - What a Day!

People queuing up to come in!

We LOVE Newcastle!

Yesterday we held our first ever vintage event at the Theatre Royal in Newcastle.  Because it was our first ever event in Newcastle, we weren't sure how many people we would get through the door, so it was wonderful to find out just how much the people of Newcastle love vintage.  An amazing 1500 people turned up - which is about the same that we have come to our signature York events.  The venue was amazing - the theatre is such a beautiful building and so spacious for one of our events, and the theatre staff were so welcoming.

For most of the day I was standing on the front desk and we received some lovely comments from our visitors.  A few people asked us if we were there for two days because they knew people who couldn't come on the Saturday but would have loved it.


People had also been to our York fairs we're very pleased to find out it was the same company doing this one.  Also, being on the desk meant I remembered a few of the faces that came in, and it was great to see many of them still enjoying the fair hours after they'd passed through the door.

I bought my camera and spotted some locals with great taste who'd found some very stylish items.  This gentleman on the left bought a very nice jacket that fitted him perfectly, and this lady on the right looked fab in this white beaded top.

Our stallholders were having a good day too!  It's great to see these small businesses doing so well in the current financial market.  Plus, there was also time for a bit of fun.  Two of our regular stallholders in the pic on the left found a couple of matching coats for sale and tried them on - don't they look fab!

As with all of our fairs, we had other things for people to enjoy apart from the vintage stalls.  We had a lovely beauty bar run by the Body Shop.  There was face painting, and Emma from the Yesteryear Shed had her arm painted with this beautiful blue flower in the pic above.  Our workshop this time was a demonstration on how to turn an old book into a Christmas tree in the pic on the left.  I can't wait to try this!

Finally, we had the Moon Booth who we'd love at the last event we'd had in York, taking vintage style photos.  I had a photo taken - it was great fun.  You can see all the photos they took at Newcastle Does Vintage on their Facebook page.

So, that was our first ever Newcastle event.  We will be back next year - keep an eye on our Facebook page when we announce the dates.  If you feel you missed out and couldn't make it yesterday, then fear not!  On Saturday 24th November 2012 we'll be in Durham at the Town Hall.

Check out the dedicated Durham Does Vintage Facebook on the link below for more details!

Durham Does Vintage Facebook page

York Does Vintage 14th October - It Was Epic!

So, were you part of York Does Vintage on 14th October 2012?

It really was one of the best fairs we've ever had.  There was such an upbeat mood all day and we had an amazing 1600 people though the door!

Thank you to all of you who came along, because not only did you have a good day, but you helped our stallholders to have a good day too.  By shopping at our fairs you're supporting small businesses, proving that even in these hard times that we can have success!  You're also helping the environment by buying second hand and recycled items.

So, the public, our stallholders and the Now & Then team can quite rightly feel proud of how well it all went.  It was lovely to see so many happy people enjoying the day.

We had some wonderful entertainment in the form of Phil Lyons, who kept all the crowds entertained singing vintage style big band tunes.

Our Lindy Hop dancers were there all day running workshops.  What's so great about them is even if you don't join the workshops they're so fun to watch.










Plus, we had the fab Louise Jakobsen, from the Jewellery Channel running craft workshops to make some beautiful rings.





There were lots of cool stuff for sale!  There were gorgeous glove, beautiful bags, fab fur coats, and lovely lace collars!

Did anyone have a vintage make-over, or a photo taken in the photo booth? There really  was something for everyone!

Our crafts people brought some creative handmade goods to their stalls.  So many talented people have stalls at our fairs.  There were items made from vintage fabric, such as purse cushions and pin boards, you could buy knitted mobile phone cases, button hair grips, and really unique jewellery.

Oh and I haven't even mention the cakes!  Every good fair needs good cakes, and we had such a choice on offer in the tea room.

If you're now looking forward to our next fair, then we've back in York for a spectacular Christmas event on 2nd December 2012.

If you can't wait till then, our next fair in North Yorkshire will be Harrogate Does Vintage on 10th November 2012.

What better place to do your Christmas shopping than Yorkshire Does Vintage?  

Exciting News for York Does Vintage!

Yorkshire Does Vintage - the Magazine!

Yes, that's right, Yorkshire Does Vintage has got a fab free magazine coming out that will be available at our York Does Vintage event on Sunday 14th October.

You can see the beautiful front cover on the left, which gives you a bit of a teaser as to some of the things inside.  I've seen the mag, and I know I'm not impartial, but I'll tell you that it really is a rather good! There's instructions on how to get a glamorous vintage look stage by stage, a baking section, a street style section looking at what the people on the streets of York have been wearing, and much, much more.

So, if you'd like a copy, then pick one up from the front desk next week.

We've already planning the next issue, and (this is very exciting!), we're looking for someone to appear on the front cover as "The Face of Yorkshire Does Vintage".  So if you love vintage and would like to represent us by being on the front cover of the Spring issue, then get in touch with us via our Facebook page - or better yet come and introduce yourself to us at one of our events.

York Does Vintage Craft Workshops

We like to bring a bit of variety to our free craft workshops, and at York Does Vintage next week, we've got the Jewellery Channel presenter, Louise Jakobsen from Capricorn Creations.

She'll be demonstrating how to make two ring.  The first one is this swirl pearl one on the right, which you can make for FREE.  The other one a cluster ring can be made at the cost of only £1. So, if you've ever fancied having a go at making your own rings, then book a place on one of the workshop.

The workshops for Louise Jakobsen rings will run as follows:-

11:00am - 11:45am, 
12:15pm - 1:00pm  
1:30pm - 2:15pm  
2:45pm - 3:30pm 
4:00pm - 4:45pm

If you'd like to book a place then email us at nowandthenevents@gmail.com

York Does Vintage's Photo Booth!

And if the magazine, the jewellery making and all our regular stalls hasn't got you excited enough for next week, we've also got a fun photo booth in operation courtesy of Moon Booth.  Get your photo taken in a vintage style, maybe after having a vintage make over, or even wearing the some of the vintage items you've purchased.

Hope to see you all there on Sunday 14th October 2012 at the Merchants Adventures Hall from 10:30am to 5pm.  It's going to be quite a day!

Vintage Events Coming Soon!

If you like our events and want to know where we for the rest of the year, here's some dates for your diary.

York Does Vintage, Sunday 14th October 2012 - Merchant Adventurers Hall.  York Does Vintage has a huge array of vintage items on offer, think crockery, furniture, vintage prints, kitchenalia, homewares, jewellery, accessories - THE LOT!
If vintage isn't quite your thing but good food, dancing and workshops are, then you are still in for a treat. Pop along to our signature tearoom - serving the very best cakes, cupcakes, scones, try your hand (or feet should we say) at lindy-hop dancing, get pampered at our beauty bar, dabble in the vintage inspired workshops and let your children get creative at our children's corner!

Harrogate Does Vintage, Saturday 10th November 2012 - Harrogate Theatre.  Yes, were back at beautiful Harrogate Theatre in November.  We love bringing our events to this beautiful spa town, and we'll have all the things you love about our Harrogate fairs from homeware to fashion and jewellery.

Newcastle Does Vintage, Saturday 17th November 2012 - Theatre Royal, Grey Street. Expect gorgeous vintage stalls brimming with sparkles, lace, chiffon - clothes, accessories, vintage art, homewares, kitchenalia, crockery, prints, vinyl, sweets - you name we have it!

We like to complement our vintage occasions with activities and features fit for all types of folk and ages! Vintage inspired workshops, instant photo-booths, lindy-hop free fun dance workshops, hair and beauty bar, style competitions and a vintage tombola with lots of great goodies!

 Durham Does Vintage, Saturday 24th November 2012 - Durham Town Hall.  Expect glamorous vintage stalls stocked up with Christmas vintage goodies, deluxe beauty bar, workshops, signature vintage tearoom, dancing, competitions and a gorgeous children's corner!

A great event for all ages and to grab some fabulously unique crimbo pressies! 

If all this wasn't enough, in December we have York Does Vintage on Sunday 2nd December 2012 at Merchant Adventurers Hall and Masham Does Vintage on Saturday 8th December 2012, at Masham Town Hall.  More details on these events to be announced, but a great places to do some Christmas shopping.  I'm sure we'll also be added some special Christmas touches to the events.  Check back here or visit our Facebook or Twitter page for more info.

Plus, don't forget we're still running our competition to win a style vintage hamper when we get 700 likes on Facebook.

Win a vintage style hamper!

Just like like and share the pic of Cliff and you'll be in for a chance of winning.  As it stands this morning we only need another 21 likes to make it to the 700!  Good luck, and hope to see you at one of our events very soon.

Meet Our Stallholders - Claire's Vintique

Continuing our looking at our fab stallholders, today we feature Claire's Vintique

Selling vintage homeware and beautiful vintage inspired jewellery, you can't miss their stall with their amazing teacup on display. 

On the left are just some of the the things they had on their stall at Harrogate Does Vintage on 18th August 2012.

As you can see there's a great selection of games, books, and cameras.

On the right is a close-up of vintage cameras they have for sale.

The other side to their stall is dedicated to their vintage inspired jewellery.  From scrabble letter rings to paper butterflies in glass bottle necklaces, their jewellery is truly unique. 

Above are some of the very original rings they have for sale.  A lot of the jewellery is really fun, like the Lego rings (bottom left).  And below you can see some of the pendants they brought to Harrogate Does Vintage.



If you like what you see then Claire's Vintique will be at York Does Vintage on 14th October 2012.

You can also check out their website here:-

Claire's Vintique - Vintage and Handmade

You can like their Facebook page here:-

Claire's Vintique on Facebook

Or follow them on Twitter @clairesvintique

Choose 2 Reuse - York 25/08/2012

Today I went to the Choose 2 Reuse Fair being held at the York Designer Outlet.  The whole ethos behind the fair is about reusing, recycling and up-cycling to minimise the amount of waste we use and to make York a greener place to live.

The fair took place in a marquee in the Designer Outlet's car park.

                                                                            


This stall was amazing!  All the items for sale were made out of old crisp packets.

The lady who made all this stuff was doing demos to teach people how they too could recycle crisp packets.

Here are some more pics from the fair.

As you can see there was a wide range of things for sale.  I was inspired to buy a rag rug making kit after a demonstration by the ladies who ran a stall.  I'm really looking forward to having a go at a craft I've never done before.  The fair was run by the Council, and as a thank you for filling out a survey form you were given a free cloth shopping bag.

If you've interested in finding out more and going along to the next fair you can like their Facebook page here:-

Zero Waste York