The Opening

So, all the preparation, planning and painting finally came to fruition. I'm not referring to the splendiferous Olympics Opening Ceremony held in London last night, but the opening of the new Emporium at The Olde Watermill Dickensian Village, Barton le Clay, Bedordshire where we have taken space to display some of our pieces.

We are offering an eclectic mix of period, shabby chic and stripped pine furniture selected to compliment each other, and accessorised with vintage kitchenalia and accessories.

While this is an Emporium accommodating a variety of dealers selling antiques, upholstered chairs, chaises etc and vintage clothing, we are delighted with our little corner which is fronted by a Curiosity Shop type window, affording our area character and a useful display shelf.

This, coupled with dark timber horizontal and vertical beams, gives it a lovely cottage feel, perfect for the image we aim to create for Owl Cottage Collectables & Furniture.

The first item of the day to sell was a French night stand which had been painted and distressed - sold to a lady who fell in love with it and bought it for herself as a 40th birthday treat.

We hope this will be the first of many sales and that we will appeal to potential buyers looking for affordable eco-friendly vintage pieces for their home.

While we will continue to offer items on Ebay, we welcome the opportunity of displaying some of our favourite pieces in such a lovely setting and hope many of our past customers as well as our Facebook Friends will visit the Emporium over the next few weeks.

There will be a variety of exciting events being held also as well as a weekly Sunday carvery in the Victorian style restaurant. The Mill, itself, houses a coffee shop for those who want a lighter snack or just a refreshing drink - and there is a children's playground to keep the kids happy while you shop at your leisure.

Racing against Time - Thank goodness for Annie Sloan Paint

Friday is listing day because I like auction listings to end on a Monday evening. This is based on the premise that the weekend is when people decide to make a new purchase. They then hit the shops and Ebay on Monday to fulfil that quest. Monday evenings are when those who return from a day's work can get online to search.  So, we aim to meet that demand by listing for 10 days on Friday evening. That provides us with a deadline to aim for by having items ready for listing on Friday.

So with that in mind, having started to paint a 1930s bureau yesterday, I was keen to finish it today. I also wanted to re-vamp a modern waxed pine settle that lacked character.

Thanks to Annie Sloan's wonderful chalk paint which eliminates the need for excessive preparation, I was able to complete both projects.

I painted the bureau in her shade of Country Grey. We replaced the tatty rexine skiver with a soft faux leather inset panel in blue/grey which complimented the neutral tone of the Country Grey. I lightly distressed the paintwork and finished with Clear Wax already for listing this evening. Having sold a bureau this week which was collected by our customer today, it is nice to have a replacement to go on straight away, as these bureaux are always popular. With more and more people now using smartphones and ipads, bureaux are the ideal space-saving alternative to full-sized desks for a home office environment.

I decided to paint the settle in one coat of Old White from the Annie Sloan paint range and then heavily rub this back to create a limed pine effect. Again, this was finished with clear wax.  This settle is the perfect solution to a cluttered porch to store shoes, school bags etc.

The little bedside chests listed only yesterday, were sold today. Of 1950s utility construction, these were transformed thanks to Annie Sloan Duck Egg and new oak handles. As a result, they made an attractive and affordable pair of bedsides that were snapped up by someone locally who came to collect.

Finally, the Andy Murray match provided a great end to the day. Amazing - the first man from the UK to play in a Wimbledon Final since 1938.  I can remember when Virginia Wade won her Final. The country could do with some Feel Good Factor that his win would generate after all this rain. Fingers Crossed!


Please click on this link if you would like to browse our Ebay Store. Thanks for popping by

Thursday 5th July

While Mike rendezvous'd with our courier to hand over a van load of furniture for distribution all over the country, I embarked upon my latest paint job - a Victorian pine shelf unit which came into our possession in a rather poor finish, and screaming out for an Annie Sloan makeover.

So, I was pleased to have a project where I could use a shade I'd not used before, Aubusson, combined with Farrow & Ball's Lime White for the interior. I was really pleased with the end result.

Antique Pine Shelf Unit Painted in Annie Sloan's Aubusson
with Farrow & Ball Lime White Interior

Listed today are two very traditional and elegant pieces of furniture in Bleached Walnut, a gorgeous pale walnut finish, by the renowned furniture retailers, Maple & Co. Soooo elegant.

Please feel free to browse our Ebay shop for details of the above and other items we have for sale.
A perfect end to the day was for us  to cool off with a top down drive this evening to Wimpole Hall, the National Trust owned property close to where we live, making the most of the sunshine and the beautiful Cambridgeshire countryside.

First Entry - 4th July 2012

I'm taking my very first baby step into the world of blogging, motivated by some of the fine blogs Ive stumbled across on my world wide web travels.

Described by some as a silver surfer, though I prefer to think of myself as a savvy surfer, I embraced the internet about 10 years ago and soon went from making the odd purchase on Ebay to becoming a full-time seller with the invaluable help of my husband, Mike.

Our Ebay Store

Now with over 3,700 positive feedbacks, accumulated over the past few years - with not one negative, I'm rather proud to claim,  I have found that, for all its faults, Ebay has provided our business, Owl Cottage Collectables,  with a worldwide clientele from all walks of life and cultures.

What they, and we, share in common is a love of all things vintage.  

Whether it be a high end antique or an upcycled preloved piece of furniture, it is not only far more environmentally friendly than something bought new on the high street, but has an individuality and charm that simply cant be replicated - offering the new owner something which is unique to them.

From our cottage in Cambridgeshire, we enjoy foraging at antique fairs, auction houses and sometimes the odd car boot sale in order to rescue and restore vintage finds to their resplendent best.

I love transforming the odd piece thanks to Annie Sloan Chalk Paint and am fast discovering my favourite shades and effects, though would never dream of painting anything which would be devalued as a result.  Here are a few of my past projects and, with the aid of this blog, will add future finds and restorations as and when, as well as a daily journal.