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This Denby Luxor platter is like Marmite. You'll either love it or hate it. I love it for its geometric patterns and tactile surface. 
I like that it's handcrafted too. You can see all the work that must have gone into creating the intricate design. You can tell it's Egyptian inspired; it conjures up a sense of Tutankhamun's famous mask. 
Come along to Cambridge Market and see whether you love it or hate it. Add Comment At the Homemade Christmas Fair we met Stacy and her creative friends who are part of a great new enterprise in Cambridge called 'The Re-Creations Project'. They are upcycling all sorts of waste items into beautifully crafted creations and passing on their skills to people with learning difficulties. Recycling and helping the local community - just what we at Retrovert aspire to do as well. We particularly liked the interlocking sweet wrapper earrings and ringpull bracelets. You can see some photos of their work here. Their upcycled beads remind me of Kim Thittichai's work in her book Hot Textiles. I might have a go at making one of her coiled bowls made out of plastic bag beads for our stall. The book is pictured below, alongside my favourite recycled plastic item - a splashback made out of kid's Wellie boots. Smile Plastics divert them from landfill and squash them to make these vividly colourful sheets. If you look extra closely you can just see a Bob the Builder logo... 
We are now officially market traders, having successfully got through the first day on our Cambridge Market stall. It was not with out incident - Jane broke a glass and I fell over... But we are still thrilled with the way the day turned out. The market is a vibrant community, everyone was welcoming and tolerant of our ignorance of the ways of the market. We are very grateful to our first ever customer and to everyone who visited on our first day.  Our new RETRoVERT sign made from a reclaimed shelf that we screen printed ourselves at Cambridge School of Art.  Here is Jane proving just how useful our Really Useful recycled plastic boxes are.  Final tweaks to our eclectic collection.  Our mascot 'Badly damaged, lovingly repaired pot dog' immortalised for all time on recycled card.  Our much admired Siamese cats.  Our very first sale - the Churchill willow pattern plate at the bottom of the pile.  A little bit of nostalgia - Jane's Nana had this vintage shelf edging in her pantry.  A stunning Poole coffee set displayed in a vintage vanity case accessorised with upcycled button bunting.  Two different takes on Sunflowers by J & G Meakin and Biltons.  These vintage yellow rose cups are a perfect match for the Phoenix Opalware Pyrex dishes.  We love the upcycled rice sack purses in our retro wicker basket.  Quirky Sylvanian brooches and vintage dominoes with only slight toothmarks on the 1 and 3 tile.  We covet this retro glass trifle set.  Our stall looking lovely.  Sophie dressed up for the occasion, wearing her vintage coat bought from Cambridge Market.  It wasn't quite sunny enough to need this parasol, but neither did we need a brolly.  We didn't sit down on our faux retro chairs for a second, except when Sophie was recovering from her fall.  Upcycled vintage tablecloth aprons. Get them quick before Sophie buys them for her Mum for Christmas.  Starting to look a little bit Christmassy. We launch our full vintage and handmade festive range at the end of the month; Jane doesn't approve of Christmas starting any earlier.  Jane has committed to reducing the impact of her Coke habit by upcycling the cans into Christmas decorations and turning the ringpulls into jewelry.  Well travelled vintage French scent bottles now on their way to Israel with our last customer of the day.  We finally remembered to put this up at the end of the day. We're just about recovered now for our six o'clock start next Monday. See you there. Come along to Arbury Community Centre on Campkin Road, Cambridge this Saturday for 'festive craft ideas for all the family' with a sustainable twist. We will be there with North Cambridge Recycling Champions from 11am - 2pm. It's free entry. We have been busy upcycling magazines into Christmas trees, making stars out of cans and turning vintage sheet music into twirling baubles. We'll be illustrating our ideas for eco present wrapping as well as making some more paper decorations on the day, so come along and join in. We will also have our Christmassy range of retro tableware, handprinted Christmas cards and upcycled gifts. Look forward to seeing you there for some festive fun! | Hi!
Welcome to our blog. Here I share my latest finds and adventures in the exciting world of vintage and retro.
Thanks for visiting! Sophie x
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