Nude Drawing

This drawing was a gift from my Year 11/12 TEE art teacher Jamie Arkeveld when I was at Katanning Senior High School back in 1995. It is a nude she draw of her boyfriend at the time, Torstein I think his name was, he was the local artist in residence at the time. I believe he made the frame out of recycled wood, it's quite quaint. I remember they owned a dachshund called Stilts, perhaps that is were my love of dashies comes from. Fantastic drawing, I always have it on display somewhere in my house.

Compact #32 - Lumberman's Monument Camp Compact

Compact #32 - Lumberman's Monument Camp Compact - I am guessing that this interestingly shaped art deco compact was given as a gift for girls who attended a camp. I googled Lumberman's Monument and it's a camp ground in Michigan, USA. So I am guessing a little girl from this US camp has moved to Australia, lucky her. They must of hand painted these little compacts with a lot of care, she must have loved it to bring it all the way to Australia :)

Special Musical Tray found in Vancouver

When I was strolling the streets of Vancover with my mum last year I stumbled upon the messiest op-shop I have ever seen, it just had crap piled up everywhere, no order, no plan. Nothing had a place, everything was in hap-hazard piles and I couldn't even get to the back room as the door was blocked by old boxes and books. This music inspired tray was the diamond in the rough that I found on a back shelf, I know nothing about it except that I love it. Rather than using it as a tray I have put it up on my wall as a feature. Lovely colour, beautiful images, 10 points Vancouver.

Compact #31 - Avon Bamboo Compact

Compact #31 - Avon Bamboo Compact - I picked this compact up on Ebay. I haven't really seen many Avon compacts on the market, I assume they exist, they must do? Apparently Avon begun in 1886 in New York so I am surprised I have not seen more compacts. I guess Avon was always a rather affordable line of cosmetics and perhaps didn't delve into compacts which would have been relatively expensive to manufacture. To see how Avon has evolved see the Avon time line since 1886, here is a link: http://www.avoncompany.com/about/firsts.html

Dachshunds - The Coconut

This is why I like Dachshunds, this is my dog Coconut. I know dogs don't neccessarily fit in with the theme of my blog BUT....he is 2nd hand as I got him from the pound so I think he counts as a collectible. I picked him up from the Spearwood pound in the earlies noughties, about 2003 I think. I instantly fell in love with him but I had to sell it to Chris, my husband. Coconut had been mistreated and was a scrawny little mess with long curled over nails but I saw the potential, I just had to have the little drowned rat. Yes.... he does have an attitude problem and an exceptionally loud bark for a little dog and yes.... he does hate all other dogs and even latches onto their faces with force from time to time but at home he is a perfect angel....sometimes. Flaws and all, I wouldn't swap him for anything.

Compact #29 - Stratton Party Case

Compact #29 - Stratton Party Case - If I was around in the 50's I would have bought one of these party cases as a weapon, it weighs over a kilo and you could severely injure your boyfriend if he got a little bit handsy. This case features a compact & mirror, comb, cigarette case and lipstick, everything a girl needs on a Saturday night, well maybe not the cigarettes. I find it quite ironic that girls stored all their beauty products alongside their ciggies and being an ex-smoker all I can say is.....only dags smoke fags.....but they do have lovely party cases :)

Fancy's from around the globe

The big globe at the back I have owned since 1982 when my parents bought it in India. I lived in Bangalore from 1982-84 and my Mum bought all sorts of things that I still have today. The globe is a bit out of date now and still features the USSR but it has survived okay considering it was stolen by a friends boyfriend for a few years in the 90's and he refused to give it back. I eventually retreived it but it does have a slight dent now...nice one Joel. On the bottom left is a Big Fat Mama Tea Cannister, I picked up a set of 4 in New Orleans last year. I did wonder if it was offensive to buy them but they were selling them in the middle of New Orleans so I think not. The yellow tea pot is from the Subiaco Markets and is quite tacky, but in a good way. The right hand doll is also from New Orleans and is beautifully made with a soft body and porcelain head, legs and arms. I found it in a little antique store in Louisiana and the owner of the store said she found a whole box of these little dolls in an attic somewhere, she thinks they were from the 50's.

Blue Ceramic Dachshund

As a lover of Dashies I had to buy this blue ceramic dachshund when I found it in the designer shop in Melbourne. You know those shops you walk by, a funky dress catches your eye, you unknowingly enter the shop only to realise that there is no way you could afford anything. What makes it worse is that the shop assistant is about 12 years old and looks immaculately modern and toned and gives you one of those fake smiles that says "umm... get out....this shop is only for people with 8 credit cards". Well I was about the back away slowly when I saw Little Bluey, he was way over priced but I love him. He has a makers mark - BITOSSI - Made in Italy. Little Bluey will have a much better life in my kitchen I think.

Compact #28 - Pygmalion Compact

Compact #28 - Pygmalion Piano Compact - This is the most unique compact I have, it plays music and has a little compact under the piano lid. The mirror is broken which is a shame but it only cost me $70 AUD and I know they are worth about $300US in mint condition. I picked it up from the Claremont Antique fair, the stall had about 20 compacts in a small box. They were all pretty ordinary and I asked if they had anymore and they whipped this little gem out from under the counter, I fell in love instantly and we have been together ever since.

Retro Canisters - Australian Made

Retro Canisters - Australian Made - Everyone wants a set of these iconic Australian canisters....how cool are they? I picked these up at "Scroungers" for $35 which was a steal. I don't actually use them I just have them on display which is a bit lame but I am clumsy and I don't want to drop one as they are in really good nick. The manufacturer is Capri...well that's what google said and I cannot be bothered to get off the couch and go check....it's been a long day, I'll check later and update.

Compact #27 - Mexican Compact

Compact #27 - Mexican Compact - And in the words of Speedy Gonzales the little Mexican mouse......."Ándale! Ándale! Arriba! Arriba!". Another compact from the yearly Claremont Antique Fair. A cute little Mexican themed compact featuring Mexican men having siestas, playing guitar and lots of cacti. I wonder why the manufacturers came up with this theme for a compact or any themed compact really...I guess they were just trying to cash in on fads....I would have bought this one, I am a sucker for a theme.

Compact #26 - Flying Birds Compact

Compact #26 - Flying Birds Compact - I think this is a Stratton compact but I will have to check my bibles:

1) Vintage Ladies' Compacts, Second Edition, by Roselyn Gerson - I bought this book on Amazon from the US, it is very extensive with about 300 pages and features a wide variety of compacts. There is so much choice when it comes to compacts as every woman owned one or more compacts from the 20's to the 60's so there are gazillions of different types. You could never collect them all and as you probably know if you are a collector, things can get out of hand especially if you have an addictive personality like me. Luckily I have managed to restrict myself as I have made a rule not to buy on Ebay, this limits my opportunities to splash my cash around.

I am a member of Roselyn Gerson's Compact Collector Club based in New York and she sends me a copy of the newsletter"Powder Puff" four times a year. It's a great read :)

2) Powder Compacts: A Collector's Guide,by Juliette Edwards - I bought this full colour collectors guide in Cape Town in a 2nd hand shop. It features some great compacts and includes really helpful & interesting information about the different compact brands, manufacturers, patents and eras of compact styles.

Compact #25 - Cashmere Bouquet Compact

Compact #25 - Cashmere Bouquet Compact - This compact is another bakerlite example and has an unusual screw on lid which is bit different to all the usual flip lids. I think Cashmere Bouquet make soap these days but obviously they dabbled in beauty products in the past too. Bakerlite is cool!

Compact #24 - Purple Butterfly Compact

Compact #24 - Purple Butterfly Compact - Brand spanking new compact, pristine condition and quite a pretty design. I purchased this at the Claremont antique fair last year.

Compact #23 - Black Enamel Compact

Compact #23 - Black Enamel with Diamante Compact - I bought this compact from a quaint little shop on Albany Highway in Victoria Park. It is never EVER open and it frustrates the hell out of me as I squish my face against their window all the time. I don't know how they make any money, maybe they sell all their stuff on ebay...anyway I digress. One day I was driving past and saw the the door open so I slammed on the skids and ran in. There was no one inside but the door was open...weird. So I stole this compact and ran out. Only kidding....I yelled out and some lady came out but surprise suprise they were closed and she was just picking something up. What the? Maybe they run drugs out of there...who knows. Anyway I managed to talk her into letting me look around at the things I had been spying on through the window for months. I spied this little black diamante compact, lovely ain't it.

Bits and Bobs in my kitchen

Now what do we have here, bits and bobs from all over the shop. Starting top right we have a little dachshund (I like dachshunds), underneath is a cool little handmade box I bought in Greece when I was there for my 21st birthday in 1999, under this is a Maple Tea Box which I picked up in Banff, Canada in 2008, 19 of the 20 tea bags still inside as the tea is horrible. It tastes like 20 sugars and some arsenic. I have a small collection of tea boxes as the brightly coloured designs always attract my eye. Right of this is a little ceramic dachshund I picked up at the Claremont Antiques Fair a few years ago and finally an Elmstock Tea Box that I nabbed from the Dome in Cottesloe when I used to manage it in 2003.

I almost forgot the little green Vee-Dub, I used to be obsessed with these cars and I always wanted one when I got my licence. Unfortunatley I took the easy road and bought a sensible car that never breaks down, my Echo has no character though. This little Volkswagon reminds me of my favourite car and what I would be driving if I was cooler.

Compact #22 - Max Factor Bakerlite Compact

Compact #22 - Max Factor Bakerlite Compact - This little guy only cost $6.00 and I don't think it's technically antique as it is quite a late model Max Factor compact and probably heavily mass produced but I think it deserves a spot in my collection. I don't have any other compacts this colour, I think it's quite striking. It is made of bakerlite too which I believe was all the rage before everthing was made of plastic.

Compact #21 - Wedding Gondula Compact

Compact #21 - Wedding Gondula Compact - I think this is a rather cheaply made compact as it is quite light compared to some of my others but it's brand new, not a scratch on it. It has a lovely little scene featuring a man playing guitar for the happy couple on a gondula. Maybe this was a gift for a bride on her white wedding day....who knows?

Compact #20 - Square Mother of Pearl Compact

Compact #20 - Square Mother of Pearl Compact - How cute is this compact and it's in really good nick too. It looks really good in my display cabinet as it picks up the light from all different angles and kind of glimmers like Edward in Twilight (not that I have seen it....twice...cough cough ;) I picked this up in Melbourne as well, again on Chapel Street, I really should find some new places to shop when I go to Victoria but I always find so many little treasures there.

Compact # 19 - Green and Silver Kigu Compact

Compact # 19 - Green and Silver Kigu Compact - I love the shape of this compact and the design but it is in pretty poor condition. I found one just like it on the Kigu website, obviously all shiny and lovely unlike mine :)

The Kigu website is http://www.vintage-compacts.com/ if you are interested in compacts, they have a fantastic selection of kigu compacts from the 40's to the 70's.

I bought this compact from a little store called "Shag" on Chapel Street in Melbourne. They have really unique clothes, jewellery and accesories, nothing matches and some is even ugly but in a cool way. The guy who works there, possibly the owner, looks like he gets dressed in the dark but still manages to pull it off nicely with an 80's nerd meets punk fashion. I bet he still makes mixed tapes, old skool like.

Compact #18 - Large Black & Gold Compact

Compact #18 - Large Black & Gold Compact - This compact is really large, as in twice the size of a normal compact. This design was obviously created for maximum "show off" points. Compacts and vanities items were made as accessories and actually became part of your outfit, adding a little bling :) This compact would have added lots of glitz.

Checkoslovakia Stained Glass

I picked up this jug and glasses set at Scroungers in Carlisle, it is made of Checkoslovakia stained glass. It was in the original box and has never been used. I love this style of glass, it's so tacky but I am drawn to it.

Compact #17 - Diamente Compact

Compact #17 - Diamente Compact - This compact has a lot of bling. I picked it up at Chapel St Bazzar in Prahran, Melbourne. I love this antique market as there is SOOOOO much stuff to look at, it can be a bit overwhelming. They have crammed so many little stalls into one area that I am paranoid that my gianormous handbag is going to knock over some priceless antique.

Glass Fruit...bright colours make me happy

I am not really sure why I started collecting glass fruit but I think it was the bright colours that attracted me. You can pick up a piece from anywhere between $3 to $15 depending on how lucky you are. I have a capsicum, 2 apples, tomato, plum, lemon, mandarin, banana, red mango, paprika and a pear. I really want an eggplant and some grapes so I am keeping my eye out at op shops and markets. I have my fruit displayed on a high shelf in the kitchen and everytime I accidently slam a cupboard door I freak out that a piece is going to smash into a millions pieces, but I haven't lost one yet.

Compact #16 - Chain Mesh Compact

Compact #16 - Chain Mesh Compact - This is a fun compact, it makes me think of the 70's, disco balls, girls getting dressed up in short skirts, false eye lashes, pastel eye-shadow and hitting the town to dance all night. I think if I was around when this compact came out I would have bought one. I feel like engraving my name on it and pretending.

Compact #15 - Tartan Compact

Compact #15 - Tartan Compact - I picked this up at the UWA antiques fair. Kigu "Made in England". Everyone loves the Scots including me, what would we do without Rod Stewart, terriers, haggis, the Loch Ness Monster and Fiona Lochhead.....oh and the infamous Glasgow kiss.

Compact #13 - Revlon Compact

Compact #13 - Revlon Compact - Gold Leaf Design. Made in the US. "Misty Rose" is the shade. Not one of my favourites as it's a bit traditional and even regal but it has it's place.

Compact #12 - Oriental Zenette Compact

Compact #12 - Oriental Zenette Compact - I bought this compact in Fremantle and it is in quite good condition. It features two oriental men in an asian style rickshaw. It is English made has a strange scaled design on the back.

Compact #11 - Zenette Rose Compact

Compact #11 - Zenette Rose Compact - Made in England. Quite a boring compact really but it still has a place in my collection. I bought it in Fremantle, WA

Compact #10 - Rosi Carmette Powder Compact

Compact #10 - Rosi Carmette Powder Compact - I picked up this little number in Fremantle at an antique shop near Mojo's live music venue. On the back it says "The Essence of Loveliness" and was apparently made in Melbourne. This is not technically a compact but more of a make-up tin but it holds powder so I still think it counts :)

Compact #9 - Suitcase Compact

Compact #9 - Suitcase Compact - I love this compact, another Ebay find. Hingenco Vanitites Inc. black enamaled suitcase vanity: goldtone hardware; interior reveals compartment for rogue, powder and beveled mirror. It says PAT. No. 1883793 MADE IS THE USA on the inside.

Compact #8 - Mother of Pearl

Compact #8 - Round Mother of Pearl Compact. The brand is KIGU and I found this on Ebay, it's one of my smallest compacts. mmm.....shiny

Compact #7 - Protea Compact

Compact #7 - Protea Compact - The protea, a South African flower features on this one. I bought this compact from an open air market in Cape Town. The flower is preserved in resin and was made by British manufacturer "Mascot".

Compact #6 - Mother of Pearl Compact

Compact #6 - Mother of Pearl "New Light" Compact from Cape Town. Cape Town was full of fantastic antiques and quite reasonably priced too. Most compacts were manufactured in the US and UK so it makes sense that most of the compacts I found in Cape Town were British as it was colonised.

Compact #5 - Art Deco Compact

Compact #5 - Art Deco Compact - Circa 1930 picked up in South Africa. Chrome finished. Art Deco is one of my favourite styles and this compact is in my top 5.

Knitting - It's Cool

Knitting.....yes I know it's for nannas and I have been the butt of many jokes since I took it up but knitting is making a come-back, it's cool again. The picture above is of a scarf I am knitting in plain stitch, the wool is really pretty but hard to work with as it's thin, thick, thin, thick, it's called RUSTICA. My knitting skills are worse than poor and I drop stitches all the time when I get intrigued in a tv show and then I cannot work out how to fix it so I have to pull out the rows I have just knitted. This scarf is finished but I cannot work out how to finish it off and my mum started it off for me so I am stuck. I am all process and no skill, I need a nanna. HELP!!!

Compact #4 - Kigu Bolster Compact

Compact #4 - This bolster shaped compact is by manufacturer Kigu and is from the early 1950's. It has a deer on the front and is also from Cape Town. These compacts are worth quite a bit when they are in good condition but this one has been well used and loved by someone.

Compact #3 - Stirling Stirling Compact

Compact #3 - This compact is also from Cape Town, I picked it up at a messy antique shop amongst a box of mixed odds and ends. It is stirling silver and has "Lilian 24.5.45" engraved on the front. I wonder who "Lilian" is? I wonder if she is still alive? She would be 64 today so I assume she is.

Compact #2 - Gold Mascot ASB

Compact #2 - I picked up this compact while on a work trip to Cape Town, South Africa. I found it in a little market stall called "Glitterati" and it cost R65. I love the shape of this compact.

Compact #1 - Old Stratton Compact

My biggest and favourite collection at the moment is my antique compact collection. I started collecting in early 2007. I was tossing up between collecting perfume bottles and compacts and I chose compacts and haven't looked back since.

Compact #1 - This was the first compact I ever bought, I got it from Ebay for the bargain price of $8.00. On reflection it's quite ugly, in poor condition and scratched but I still love it.

Collecting from a young age

When I was a kid I collected all sorts of things like stamps, stickers, swap cards and even hippopotamus figurines. Unfortunatley I do not have anthing to show for all this early collecting which is quite sad. I have lost, sold or given away all my treasured childhood finds. Things haven't changed much since I have become an adult and I dabble here and there with different collections. To prevent me from losing track of my collections in the future I have decided to start this blog so I can write about all my interests, collectibles and things I find cool. I hope you enjoy it :) Below is a little crafty pig I made last night while watching tv. It came as a box kit and you just had to sew all the bits together. I like craft but my technique is a bit sloppy, this took me way longer to make than it should have...notice the dodgy stitching. I think I'll call him Piggly Wiggly.