Vintage crockery hire for weddings and the vintage tea party

Through the keyhole of beauty

Posted on December 6, 2012 by sarakirkby

I have been thinking about tomorrow and our pop up shop and thought I had better take a sneak preview to check everything is ready. It is so easy to be surrounded by lovely things and loose site of what you have but do you know what, I always see the beauty in everything I own.

Look at this for instance

rose teapot and pretty cakestand

I found this teapot tucked away in a charity shop, small but soooo pretty. I especially love it for filled with a lovely posy of flowers. My friend Georgie the flower farmer has used this teapot for weddings with her gorgeous homegrown flowers from Common farm. We love working together because she knows my stock of vintage china so well and I know her flowers will be perfect.

lovely Sadler teapot

This is not to everyones taste but I think this Sadler teapot is the essence of beauty. That green is a colour to shout about and the gold sqiggles are so out there for the era of the teapot. Daring I say. I love it.

Today as I went about my business I nipped into see the ladies at our hospice shop. I always pop in beacause I always buy something to support a charity very close to my heart and because there is always something beautiful in there. And here it is.

vintage tea cups and gorgeous tin

Gorgeous tin! It’s a truly lovely original biscuit tin. Now that is how I want my biscuits. And look at it sitting with my vintage teacups….. STUNNING. These teacups are lined up ready for mulled wine tomorrow at my Elsie Florence pop up Christmas shop. Which one to choose will be the only problem and I love them all.

And on to my pop up shop.This is a sneak preview through the keyhole of what there is for sale.

a washing line of upcycled cushions

I am keeping a ‘foxy’ cushion because I love them. I have orders for ‘Superman’ and ‘Diamond Geezer’ too.

glorious britain

Or maybe you are more of a ‘make tea not war’ type of a cushion gal. Which ever you like they are unique, fun and great for presents.

And then there is the ‘Dandy’ bedside table ……ummmmm LOVELY too.

pop up at Elsie Florence

So there it is. We are open tomorrow from 5-8pm so if you are free and fancy seeing lots of beautiful things and meeting some lovely people come and join us. xxx

Ding dong merrily on high, Christmas is coming to Elsie Florence.

Posted on November 28, 2012 by sarakirkby

ELSIE FLORENCE Christmas WINDOW

Here at Elsie Florence H.Q. I have to say I am starting to feel very festive. We are going to open our door for the first time on 7th December for our pop up shop which is very excititng. We will be open from 7 – 9 pm with delicious mulled wine served in our beautiful vintage teacups for you to sip while you shop.

Our vintage china show room will be open to inspire you. It’s New Year’s Eve on the horizon and you could be uber cool and hire our collection of vintage china to wow your guests at your N.Y dinner. Even better you can order an quantity of china, linen and cutlery. We even deliver and wash up for you.

lovely idea, pudding in a teacup

In the shop we will be show casing our ‘new’ vintage furniture.I especially love our Elsie Florence up-cycled decoupage’Pink Flamingo’ dressing table

pink flamingo dressing table

and ‘Blue tit’ bureau corner cupboard.

blue tit bureau

The trickiest part to Christmas shopping for me is the men in our lives. What do you buy them? So Elsie Florence have made some cool and quirky cushions to go in their study or on their favourite chair. ‘Diamond Geezer’ and ‘Superman’ are top of the list in the office.

up-cycled cushions

Christmas is so exciting and inspiring and so Elsie has put together her wish list to inspire you. Here are a few of her favourite things ………..

little Diva gold teapot

1/ Modern with a vintage twist, the gold aptly named ‘diva teapot’.

decanter pendant lights

2/ I love these very cleverly design ‘decanter pendant lights’. Yes please Santa.

‘Bambi light’

3/ I have been asking Santa for this light for two Christmas’s now. Fingers crossed it’s in my stocking this year.

ligne-roset sofa

4/ You can’t get better than Ligne-roset for contemporary design. Perfect form in every respect. Covet love.

and a little champagne I think

5/ I love this image because every girl deserves a beautiful frock and a glass of something fizzy for Christmas.

And so I hope you get everything you want for Christmas and start the new year with a little sparkle. We intend to at Elsie Flo H.Q. Bookings are coming in for next summer and our pop up shop will be going on our website.

The site is going in for a little surgery first and will come out with a bit of a face lift.

Keep tuned.

Merry Christmas to you xxxxx

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Romantic vintage winter wedding

Posted on November 18, 2012 by sarakirkby

gold vintage wedding dress

I love the change from all our summer weddings into the winter season. As Christmas approaches the landscape changes and it is so pretty and magical. I love the crisp white frosts, the evenings drawing in and the romance of candle light. One of my favourite looks is to use soft vintage summer florals with faded linens and Elsie Florence’s gorgeous pattern plates.

layered vintage linens and florals

This weekend my bride is getting married at the magical Stourhead Estate. For her vintage style wedding she has chosen to use Elsie Florence beautiful vintage floral plates for every course from ditzy side plates to starter and main plates and even for the puddings.

beautiful Elsie Florence vintage patterns

To compliment our vintage crockery our bride is hiring our lovely vintage linen napkins and bone handled cutlery.

Elsie Florence vintage napkins

Elsie Florence vintage cutlery

Soft pink, lilac and pale blue hydrangeas are still just in season to use for winter weddings and I think look stunning with vintage china.

vintage colour Hydrangeas

With the china and linen decided, the menu tweaked the wedding cake needs to be a show stopper. What about this? The PERFECT finishing touch.

the perfect wedding cake

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New at Elsie Florence

Posted on November 8, 2012 by sarakirkby

It has been far to long I know but it has been a very busy season hiring our beautiful vintage china so I have forgiven myself.

Now it’s November and things quiten down on the vintage china front. We have a few winter brides hiring our vintage china which I love because it’s so romantic. My parents were married in December in the 50′s, white fur, deep velvet and crisp frosty air. Beautiful.

My parents wedding 1950

So now what i hear you mutter. Well lots of exciting things.

upcycled GLORIOUS BRITAIN cushion

My passion in life is making things, changing something so it things evolve into something more beautiful whilst using what we have around us and upcycling is the answer. It is something I have been doing for years really ever since I was a child but now something I now do as part of my business.

upcycled SUPERMAN cushion

Cushions and furniture are the things Í love and am starting to sell. The Elsie Florence website is going to have a rejig and make room for some of these beautiful found objects that I want to share with you.

upcycled cushion

Most will be one off’s as that is so much nicer. We are over the mass market, mass produced , through it away attitude. Look back to days gone by and spend your money more wisely.

My friend Mel Cable-Alexander of Lapaloosa has cleverly created the slow furniture movement. She sells beautiful furniture and furnishings made by clever artisans of which Somerset is blessed. http://www.lapaloosa.co.uk/

And we at Elsie Florence are here cleverly designing, making and furnishing you with lots of lovely things too.

upcycled FOX cushion

On 7th December Wincanton is going to have an extravaganza shopping evening. It’s a great opportunity to buy some unique Christmas presents and Elsie Florence will be opening her front door to you too.

So come along and be inspired and start your Christmas shopping with us.

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Proud to be British

Posted on June 1, 2012 by sarakirkby

Her Majesty’s Union Jack by Elsie Florence

I’m really excited about the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee. I grew up in a household of Royalists. That sounds terribly grand. My mother was the same age as my daughter when the Queen had her Coronation and she avidly collected books about this time and the Royal tours across the world.

Last week I found these treasures bursting with beautiful photographs. Perfect for the idea I had for my window display. I am a queen myself, of all things vintage. In a time of austerity I have decided to embrace a post war attitude with make do and mend, recycling and upcycling. I love collage and decoupage and so created 3 Union Jacks reflecting Her Majesty’s life.

Jubilee window at Elsie Florence

I have already been asked if I will sell these Union Jack’s and yes of course. Elsie Florence is a hive of activity and there are going to be many more for pieces for sale and commisions are being undertaken.

We are working on new pieces all the time.

childs ‘DANDY’ comic chair £75.00

The Dandy comic chair is a favourite.

I have just started to work on a dining table. I love the imagery, it’s 50′s meets 80′s. The pedestal legs are going to be bubblebum pink.

upcycled table in work

This is a close up of the images i’m using. Love a bit of disco meet her Maj.

Tracy Ulman record cover decoupadge table top

Remember Bubbly, blows bigger bubbles! This is the pink i’m talking about. I’m predicting a huge influx of chalky bubblegum pink for interiors.

bubbly bubble gum

This pink is great on one of our new upcycled cushions .

Local birdwatcher upcycled cushion

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Maypole and what been happening at EF HQ

Posted on May 21, 2012 by sarakirkby

It’s nearly the end of May and I have to apologise for not writing earlier. I haven’t even shown you our Maypole windows, so here they are before I continue……

vintage china maypole

And this one……..

Pretty vintage crockery suspended from the Elsie Florence Maypole

And this is a close up because it has been greatly admired.

vintage china cups and teapots flying through the air

I had a lovely conversation today with a lady who has been following my blog and asked me to carry on showing inspiring images which was a releif to me as i am not a wordy person but am bursting with ideas and creative thoughts. I see everything as an image which is quite tricky. I watch the news and think no that tie doesn’t go with your shirt, or can you really wear that with that?

I have been told i am 90% visual. So as this blog contiues it will be very visual with abit of commentary and lots of lovely things to inspire you.

Elsie Florence has grown as a business over the past 10 years and is moving in a sorts of exciting directions so wait for more to come and things to buy. But for now i am going to show you some of the things in my home that i love and make me happy and inspire me.

pink flamingo on the wall of the office

I LOVE this picture which i bought with my great mate Jessie. She constantly inspires me and encourages me to do what i do best. Next to the Flamingo is my plastic woven bag from India, somewhere i plan to take my daughter when she is bigger.

beautiful stripes

Bubble gum pink is the colour of the moment for me, its clever, bright and just right for adding light to any space.

bubblegum pink Chinese lantern

My daughter was given this rabbit night light by my sister. It is so beautiful and iconic of the past.

bunny night light

I love these cushions i made for my son who never wants to throw away his t-shirts when they get to small so here they are upcycled and on his bed.

upcycled t-shirt cushions

Today i have started creating my Jubilee window display by recycling pictures from Royal family books my mother passionately collected a a child. Here is a preview of my recycled – upcycled Union Jack.

upcycled - recycled Union Jack flag by Elsie Florence.

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vintage china everywhere

Posted on April 21, 2012 by sarakirkby

H.Q. Elsie Florence vintage china

It is starting to get very busy here at No6 Elsie Florence Vintage china hire. Writing endless quotes, can’t complain. Answering lots of style questions form lovely brides to be. Putting togther mood boards for summer garden parties and then doing an mammoth stock take……. I decided I had to do a stock take just to see that I really did have 500 vintage crockery teacups for a 2 day event in June.

vintage crockery teacups for hire

As you can see there were slightly more teacups than I had remembered and slightly more than 500!! And some very special ones I had forgotten about altogether. Especially this box of treasures.

eclectic mis match vintage china teacups

These in a way are my favourites because they are a truely eclectic mis match. Each set has over time lost either its cup or saucer or tea plate along the way over a busy summer of hiring out which on the one hand is sad but on the other is to be celebrated because they get re-styled by me a job I love.

Look at this one, this is a favourite. Beautiful pattern, soft delicate tones hand painted on fine bone china. Gorgeous.

mis match vintage china teacup

I also couldn’t quite beleive I had collected 250 pretty linen napkins. I adore the vintage floral ones. They are a tea party in themselves.

This week a lovely couple made an apointment to see me to look at hiring a few exrtra piece of crockery for their daughter’s wedding in June. They were heavern and had been collecting lots of vintage tea cups and saucers themselves. I loved the look of surprise and wonder as their eyes spanned my collection, moving from box to box of china. After a look at milk jugs, sugar bowls and cake stands from pressed glass to our own made by hand 2 and 3 tier stands. They wanted to forget what they can collected and just hire from Elsie florence because they said they had never seen such a beautiful collection. And lucky me because they have asked me to go and style their venue too. I was brimming with ideas for them and props they could use. Such a lovely job.

To make an appointment ot view our vintage china just give us a call: 01963 32752 or email ku.oc.ecnerolfeislenull@ofni

Our website gives you a good idea of our pretty collection and the services we offer if you are not able get to see us. www.elsieflorence.co.uk

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Vintage china displays: Elsie Florence windows

Posted on April 3, 2012 by sarakirkby

Posted in Elsie Florence H.Q., Inspiring ideas, lovely things, stunning vintage crockery teacups | 1 Comment

Vintage china tea cups: More tea vicar?

Posted on April 2, 2012 by sarakirkby

Having an afternoon tea party? ask Elsie.

delicate rose patterned vintage crockery tea cup

There are so many beautiful tea cups to choose from that here are a few.

1940's embellished climbing floral

How about champagne in this teacup, different and so on trend.

stunning turquoise and gilt with tiny rose detail truly special

I just had to show you this one too, one of my favourites. It is so hard to choose when there are nearly 500 tea cups to look at and hire.

apple green and gold fine bone china tea cup

And with Easter weddings been so fashionable as the sun shines and the blossom sways Elsie florence amazing collection of vintage china teacups just add that very special something to your day.

1930's deco style pattern

Which ones will you choose? If you would like to make an appointment to view our vintage crockery please contact us.

www.elsieflorence.co.uk ku.oc.ecnerolfeislenull@ofni t: 01963 32752

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Vintage tea party: Plates, beautiful plates.

Posted on March 30, 2012 by sarakirkby

Plates, beautiful plates. They are so pretty. Shelley & Meakin, Crown & Johnson Bros.With over 400 vintage crockery plates for hire there are plenty to choose.From side plates to starter, main & dessert.