Items on loan to magazines

I wondered if anyone who reads this has had items on their website requested by magazines for photoshoots and, if so, what are their experiences.

Last year I was asked to send four items to a very well known country magazine which I did. It cost me quite a lot in postage as one of the items was quite large and had to be sent separately. After I received them back I emailed the magazine to ask if they had used them. I received no reply so I emailed again (all very politely) but never had a reply. Last month another magazine, again a reputable antiques one, asked for an item to be loaned to them for a photoshoot. I duly sent this off, received it back and yet again, no emails and no reply to my enquiry.

What I want to ask is if this is the norm and am I being unreasonable when I think it is discourteous to ignore me once they have received the item? Surely a brief email thanking me and saying whether or not it has been used wouldn't go amiss?

I regularly buy Country Living, Homes and Antiques, English Home and Country Homes and Interiors plus some others now and then. I always enjoy seeing where items have been sourced and like to look at these people's websites. It is always interesting to see different websites mentioned (other than Cath Kidston and Cabbages & Roses!) especially ones that are new to me.

By the way it wasn't any of the magazines in the above photo. Ok, moan over!!

I am loving my newly acquired Asiatic Pheasant dish

and metal letter stencil. The shop only had three left for sale and fortunately one was an R for Ruth.

Wedding dresses

I have already blogged about the history of this dress but I recently brought it back from my mother's to display on one of my vintage mannequins. Sadly, it is so small it doesn't fit them and even this new, size ten one is too big (as you can see it doesn't quite meet on the bust).

The dress was my great grandmother's (Lucy Ann Barnes) who wore it on her wedding day in April 1885. Sadly it has deteriorated over the years as there are some rust marks and the odd hole where the material has rotted but I feel very privileged to own it. It has been stored away for a long time which seems such a shame and I think it should be on display but I don't want it to deteriorate further. My great grandmother must have been so tiny, it must be about a size 6.

I also brought this dress home which I wore to my mother's second marriage in 1969 when I was a teenager. The mini had just come onto the scene and I had this as short as I dared (and was allowed!)

Whilst I was in Cornwall last week I visited a lovely shop called 'Two Little Birds' in Falmouth. If you are ever their way do call in as they have some beautiful vintage clothes etc.

Storage Jars

I seem to have quite a lot of kitchen storage jars dotted around my home so thought I would share a few of these with you. The ones below are my latest acquisitions. I have several Jean Francois Millet prints in my dining room and found a dish with this picture on it last year so I was delighted to find these jars too. It is of 'The Angelus' and I have previously blogged about it here.

These were the first set (not just odd ones) I bought which I intended to put on the website about four years ago. As you can see they never actually made it on there!

I bought this set in Cornwall about 2 years ago. Unfortunately only one still has its lid.

I like these rusty old tin ones; they make a change from the ceramic ones.

I have several of these marmalade jars. They must have eaten so much marmalade in years past as soooo many of these jars have survived.

I also have several of these white jars for sultanas, raisins, etc. but my favourite of all is the Grimwades Rice jar probably because of its shape and the characteristic writing extolling its merits.

Thai Chicken Soup

I have been asked by a couple of people for the recipe for Thai Chicken Soup so thought I would post it so that others can make it too - it is delicious!

Serves 4

1 tbsp veg oil
1 garlic clove, chopped

2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts (approx 175g each), chopped

1/2 tsp turmeric (that's half, not 1 to 2!!)

1/4 tsp hot chilli powder

75g creamed coconut (I used coconut milk)

900ml hot chicken stock

2 tbsp lemon juice

2 tbsp crunchy peanut butter

50g thread noodles

1 tbsp spring onions

1 tbsp chopped fresh coriander

salt and pepper

dessicated coconut, finely chopped & red chillies to garnish (if required).

Heat the oil in a large pan & fry the garlic. Add the chicken pieces and spices and fry for 3 - 4 minutes.

Crumble the coconut cream into the chicken stock until dissolved (not necessary if using coconut milk). Pour into pan with lemon juice, peanut butter and noodles.

Cover pan, simmer for 15 mins.

Add spring onions and coriander, season and cook for 5 mins.

Heat dessicated coconut and chilli and fry for 2 - 3 mins.

Pour soup into bowls and add garnish.

One person who asked for this recipe is Louisa at westegg-interiors.blogspot.com who also awarded me with this. It doesn't mean I sell scrap! It is for bloggers who 'demonstrate qualities of heart, soul and sincerity! Thankyou Louisa.

Felted poppies

Following on from my last post......

I have been going to a felt making class for the last few months. I'm a bit disappointed as I envisaged making bags and scarves just like in this book

but having been shown the initial techniques we seem to be doing quite a lot of embroidery too. So I decided to have a go myself at home. I ordered some wools

and decided to 'copy' my Ikea picture. This is my first attempt and it is still wet so looks a bit 'glisteny'.

I think there is probably room for improvement (!) but I have so much wool (merino tops) that I can keep practising.

I love the way that vintage things can sit alongside the contemporary and modern and both look good together. Underneath this picture I have vintage enamel on a vintage Hungarian table runner. This stripy modern cushion sits well with the French monogrammed R (and Laura Ashley fabric) cushion and the cushion I made from Hungarian grain sack (more available on my website or to order.

Kitchen Chairs

I have recently done a makeover on this old kitchen chair. I bought it ages ago at a car boot for £2 and loved it because it had been so well used. Someone has used the seat to rest rest a piece of wood on whilst they sawed it and has sawn some of the chair by mistake (all adding to its character)!

Regular readers of my blog will know that I always seem to favour Farrow & Ball's French Gray when painting furniture but this time I tried 'Green Blue'. It wasn't really what I wanted, I had chosen 'Dux Blue' but my local Homebase has a limited selection so I had to opt for this shade. I wanted it to go with this cushion and my Ikea picture so, as you can see, it isn't quite right but I shall leave it as it is.

Other chairs I use in the kitchen are a pair of chairs I painted in James White and distressed. I also reupholstered the seats. These are my favourite as I particularly like the detail on the back.

This was my first attempt at painted furniture before I really knew what I was doing. I used ordinary white gloss!


This lovely old Windsor chair will never be painted! It was given to me when I was 10 years old by someone who paid 10/6d (about 52p) for it at an auction and I just love it.

Belated Happy New Year

A very Happy New Year to everyone who reads this. I wish you all a very happy and successful 2011.

We celebrated New Year's Eve with two other couples, visiting each other homes for a different food course which turned out to be really good fun. Our house had to provide the pudding, cheeseboard and champagne for midnight (my French friends always have the cheeses before the pudding - does anyone else do this?).

I made 'Florentine Baskets with Brandied Prune Ice Cream' and had a phone call the next day from one couple who said it was the best pud they'd ever had! I have made the ice cream before but not the brandy snap baskets. It's a great Christmassy pudding too.