la Brocanteuse

Sep 28, 2012

Weekend Brocante to visit


~Enjoy your holiday and weekend~ 
what ever it is you are planning..make the most of it.
My weekend and all the days from here on,
 will be spent sorting old French linens , 
lace and French trouvaile...in preparation for the  KAMERSVOL GESKENKE event coming up soon.

How I wish I could have one more day here before then:...
























 It is impossible to recreate what one experience at a French Brocante, the colors, the stacked collections of anything from old crockery, books,baskets,linen, lace, statues,lamps, glasses., jewellery, a-n-y-t-h-i-n-g- ...displayed on  any available surface from the bonnet of a car to makeshift tables,
 piled in  boxes and crates.. be prepared to bend down and unpack, open boxes and tins.
















 this is what I spoilt myself with, after a month of shopping for fellow francophiles at home, I felt I deserved some whimsy and delicateness..



 you won't believe how I had to beg the dealer for this little doll's head...he used it as display under a marriage dome, I won, of course it meant having to buy other bits from his stall as well, but I did not mind at all. she came home with me.




  
As much as I would like to just pile it up and stack the boxes..It would be my first choice to try and recreate the exciting feel and racing heart beat when you discover the treasure buried in a box. But... I will curate and  set it out pretty. That is what I will be doing for the next few weeks,.. planning how to display in the space assigned to
 la Brocanteuse at
FRENCH BROCANTE

 21 October ~ 27 October 2012
KAMERSVOL GESKENKE
 at
 LOURENSFORD 
Somerset West








 and if you are in the area..
you will love visiting this beautiful village and market.


Colette







remember the post on my "blue Brocante" sign"?
 here

Sep 21, 2012

old Script




I love Script, 
especially old handwritten ,timeworn documents





we learn so much of another  era where every day tasks included real paperwork..




I had a long discussion with a antique dealer not so long ago about the art of hand writing, the time and effort that went into sending out invitations, the time factor when a reply of confirmation was expected.





The said dealer collects stamps and that is actually how we got onto the subject. I wanted to purchase some of his old South African stamps to have a little project for Dd for the upcoming school holidays.
~aiming to bring awareness of a disappearing act-that being the writing of letters and post cards, adding a stamp as payment to have it sent to a friend anywhere in the world.. She loves to collect old, like me, poor girl she has no choice! 
I remember one day  when she was just a little tot-princess, we visited one of my favorite jaunts, - a  store stacked to the ceiling  with everything from old kitchen corning ware stored in wooden boxes to those every now and then true treasure.
After walking around a bit, amazed, and totally overwhelmed..( can you imagine what it must have felt like for someone not even a meter high..)
she said, " Mamma, is this the Crazy Store for big people?"   fellow South Africans will know we have a store by the same name that  kids love for their affordable and mix of all goods colored and plastic..



Any way, with time she learned that Mamma loves old and the stories collected with all.



Give me old ephemera
and script in any form any day, 
 and I will treasure it with my heart and all, 
right there next to old monogrammed french linge and handmade dentelle.




 I received a package in the post all the way from Alwen in Canada
it contained her very beautiful artwork and the old document in  this post..
- most specially wrapped in a old map and handwritten address label


such a true from the heart joy to receive in the mail from so far away, the perfect something that touched my heart, from someone I have never met, yet we connected through our love for old, curiosity and ephemera



framed in floating glass to expose  the back of the document as well


sheet music with detailed artwork on the front




framed grain bags to display and share the story



re- purposed on chairs..




I had a very kind letter from Kathee with a delightful blog:Chateau et Jardin,
 asking if she could use some of my images in a post on her blog  she found via Pinterest , 
originally used by me in a post  titled 


How thought full and appreciating, to have someone honor fellow blogger's creative input.
Thank you Kathee!



 Colette 

PS: one of our rituals when travelling, is to send post cards, like one used to do way back when..
I had Dd "write" her first one to herself and sent it home from Switzerland when she was just little ~(4)
the excitement on her face when she received it in the post box this side..precious!!






Sep 9, 2012

et blanc


Extremely excited about adding new elements 
to my
 FRENCH BROCANTE
events coming up

et blanc



 The shipment of vintage French monogrammed linen 
and French Brocante finds, 
due to arrive in Afrique du Sud this week


I can hardly wait to share 
 ......et blanc
 



Will keep you posted
 as soon as unpacked on the long table
chances are good for a open day where trunks will be unveiled as promised
if your name is not on my address list yet, 
do so by emailing me at 
colette@lecapfoods.com 

vintage French linen heaped on long table
 after 2011 arrival