Homes and Garden Magazine & the long awaited dates for next workshops..plus our birthday accident buddie...... Get Well Soon.

 
Hello
from 
Arundel Eccentrics.

It's been a while hey?
Hope life is treating you well.

Here in Arundel Sussex England
the Spring definitely hasn't sprung.

We've had some great days,
hot hot hot,
but to every one of those there have 
been about 21 damp and gloomy.


Anyway, now we've got that very English thing
 of talking about the weather out of the way,
lets see what's been happening.








  Firstly, just the teeniest brag.

Look out for the cabinet above in
Homes and Gardens Magazine
 this month.

Its a 19th century bamboo cabinet.

Painted in the wildest green and 
decorated with some vintage
 images of parrots I found
at Ardingly antiques fair and had
 been saving for a special piece.

It's always exciting when
 an item we've upcycled 
 is featured in a
lets face it,
rather beautiful, smart, national magazine.
It means our work is being seen 
and hopefully appreciated,
 by a much wider audience.

Even more exciting when its been decorated
 specifically with the shoot in mind.



..........and yes I'm rather thrilled & excited and bragging just a tad.LOL


So, if you've already spotted it and thats
 what has brought you to our blog,
you may be interested to know you can learn
  to paint and decorate your own pieces of furniture .


The most important thing you will need?

It's not the best paint brush.
 Its not the most expensive varnish,
paint or item to work on.

Its not that you need the most
 amazing amount of creativity.

A little will suffice, 
but even if there's none,
we can work around that.

What you need most of.... PATIENCE.

It takes time to cut out decoupage
 and to watch paint and varnishes dry.

But I'm telling you.
Its exciting to see an old piece of junk
transformed before your very eyes.



have a look at these
English 19th century Chests of Drawers.



Below was how we found them.
They came complete with 1970's fablon. ha ha








Here's a little bit more about us..


Arundel Eccentrics
have been in Arundel
for almost 20 years.

Firstly, with my wonderful buddie Allie
 as
Ambiance
in
The Old Brewery Warehouse
and what is now 
William Hill in Arundel







and then
in
Ninevah House, Tarrant Street.

Over the years we have been honing our skills
 with furniture painting and decoration,
and,as well as having many regular
USA antique trade customers,
we also supply shops in the UK such as
Liberty in London.


Throughout the States,
our pieces are to be found in
NYC, Texas, Florida, Carolina,California......
They are more travelled than we are.


Our work has featured in many
interiors magazines,
including
House and Garden
Homes and Gardens,

BBC Homes and Antiques
Period Living

in the UK

&

Architectural Digest

in the US.










and more recently we were filmed
by the BBC
for Antiques Celebrity Roadtrip




with Alison Steadman, the delightful actress
who incidentally, was very interested in 
coming on one of our workshops. 








If you would like to learn how to
paint & distress,
wax and age,
crackle and craquelure
decoupage,
& gild


















make an old piece you
found lying unloved,
looking seriously
destined for the rubbish tip,
into, at the most, a work of art
& treasured heirloom
at the very least
very much more beautiful than it did.


At the same time, enjoying
the tranquillity
of our
Riverside Studio
in the beautiful,
country town of Arundel,
where
you will be learning in small classes,
with refreshments including
a vegetarian lunch and a glass of wine.

Let us know.


If you would like a weekend break,
we can help you find a room
at one of our local
b&b's,
many of which are based in
some of the most
glorious houses in
Arundel's picturesque old town








 Next workshop dates 

Wednesday 24th July workshop code 1 
Fully Booked
Thursday 25th July workshop code 2
(also including craquelure)
Fully Booked

 Monday 29th July   workshop code 1
3 places available
Tuesday 30th July workshop code 2
(also including craquelure)
3 places available

Tuesday 6th August workshop code 1
3 places available
Wednesday 7th August workshop code 2
(also including craquelure)
3 places available

Wednesday 14th August workshop code 1
3 places available
Thursday 15th August workshop code 2
(also including craquelure)
3 places available

£95 day
The two days together...£150


Interested? 



Wild Parties In Arundel


A thought goes out to a friend who I won't name.

Although I'm sure she wouldn't mind.. 

Lets call her "Betty"

"Betty" damaged her achilles really badly whilst dancing at her own surprise birthday party recently. Wound up in hospital with her leg strapped up.
I can only assume it must have been some party.

So "Betty"....get well soon and while you are temporarily indisposed, 
I feel now might be the time put pen to paper and  write your bestseller.


Carpet of Flowers


For over 100 years, Arundel Cathedral has celebrated the feast of Corpus Christi with a festival of flowers, which includes a magnificent carpet of flowers in the central aisle of the Cathedral and a procession of the Blessed Sacrament from the Cathedral to the courtyard of Arundel Castle, where Benediction is given.
In 2013 the Carpet of Flowers will be open to public view on Wednesday 29th May from 9.30am to 8.00pm and on Thursday 30th May from 9.30am until celebration of Mass at 5.30pm and the Blessed Sacrament procession to the Castle. Many thousands of people come from all over the south of England to visit the Cathedral on these two days.
There is no charge for admission and refreshments are available throughout both days in the Cathedral Centre, a short distance from the Cathedral. Photographs of this year's carpet will be on sale plus many other items.



Thousands of people  pour into town for this....
Finishes later today.





I haven't been every year, though I probably should.
Its quite something to see and such a long, local tradition.



  A huge amount of work for the team which seems to have 
remained, fairly unchanged, for very many years.

 The tradition
 has been in the town since 1877,
with only a break during the first World war.
How amazing is that?


The then, Duke of Norfolk commissioned the building of the Church

 which later became the Cathedral, and which was completed in 1873.


He was so impressed with the floral carpets of flowers

he saw in Genzano near Rome,
he introduced the custom to Arundel in 1877.




he was a handsome chap wasn't he?




photos of many  years of the carpet of flowers




Have a great day.






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