The Antiques Boutique is go!

Ye-ha! Yup we did it!

The Boutique was open for business on 1st may 2009! Not too many customers though as 'The Word' is not yet fully out there, but I'm working on it! Still we had a few sales yesterday & today & about 40-50 customers/browsers both days & great feedback - which is nice...but now - I'm knackered! & I'm sure His Lordship is too having made 2 display shelves & 2 tables in a week & being Mr Shifter too...

So until the tourist season gets fully underway I won't be doing Sundays. But we're open Mon-Sat 10am (yes I even get a lie in!!) until 4pm. Once it gets busy that will change to 10am - 6pm Mon-Fri, sat 10-4 & Sun 11-4 & we'll see how that goes.

I've got a guest comment book by the door for feedback & for people to tell me what they are interested in so I can locate items for them. So far I've got depression glass, Mary Gregory glass, cornflower glass, silver hair clasps, costume & vintage jewellery & linens & lace...

I've got the 'Discover your Coat of Arms' signs up with 4 samples displayed in nice frames & enquiry forms strategicaly placed - but I find I still need to explain what its all about. People don't seem to know that 'their' coat of arms isn't theirs - its a generic one - if you really had YOUR coat of arms then you would have had to design & register it & pay for it too. So this software I have can generate several examples of generic coats of arms & I can print them out on plain paper, parchment paper, artist canvas etc...the best artist canvas I found was back in Oswestry - & I cannot find the same stuff here - so a phone call to dear old Dad was in order to go collect & mail me 10 packets to keep me going! I have a new printer on order & a monitor that can link into the laptop for better viewing.

Like the bunting...? all (frantically) hand made by me - as were the Victorian style beaded swags - made from the dress velvet curtains we had in Hen Gor!
Here are a few of the 'posh' things we have in the shop: an early 19thc Wedgwood cheese dome - I think it was a wedding gift as it has scottish thistles on the dome (for the Scottish side of the family) & oak leaves on the base (for the English side).
Cute local finds:

and some Victorian amethyst glass - just need some fairy lights behind the to show off the gorgeous purple glass:

I have the blurb on the wall about my Ceramic Restoration services - which I will do in the Winter time so I'll give estimates & take 'orders' for now (hopefully!).

Ian will be able to make some rustic furniture on his pole-lathe which we can put on the pavement outside the shop & Sir Lancelot stands guard on the deck just outside the front door (it was windy yesterday & the poor thing fell over & his forearm came off! still he's OK now...& is drawing in the crowds, well a few folks at the moment... 1 lady came in - said she nearly crashed her car when she saw him standing there, as she just LOVES anything gothic/medieval but Baddeck was the lst place she'd expect to see a Knight in Shining Armour!)

I'm doing commission sales for 15% & have our neighbour's late Victorian 3 piece suite on the books - with one of the chairs in the shop - its gorgeous - mahogany, deep green velvet with face carvings on the arms & smaller floral carving on the backs of the chairs.

Lay away is available, as are gift vouchers that I've printed off with either: With Love, Happy Birthday, Happy Anniversary, Happy Christmas, Best Wishes, or Thank You on them!

Other news: we have the wood stove in now - it looks fab..& a new chimney...& a new roof & when on the roof pulling up the roof tiles - they found we needed new board under the tiles... so we are a few pounds lighter!

The chicken coop is almost done.

The willow, fruit trees & bushes & old roses are on their way & finally the mosquitos have arrived... yeuk!

Off to create brochures & website...

Love to everyone in dear old Blighty!