We are open!

The QueenieDot Etsy shop is now open!

I will be adding many items over the coming few days - feel free to have a look around!  

Jo x

For the love of mail

This weekend saw the annual Open Heritage weekend when lots of England's fantastic places that are usually closed or charge for admission open their doors to the public for free.  

As a lover of all things postal, I went along to the Colne Valley Postal History Museum which is a private collection of postal boxes and ephemera housed in a beautiful back garden in Halstead's leafy suburbia. 

The owner, Steve Knight, says it all started with the purchase of one post box at an auction fifteen years ago and from there the collection, and his fascination, grew and grew.  It's an amazing collection of post boxes throughout the decades along with a wonderful collection of post ephemera.  

From sweet memories of playing post offices with my Sister when we were diddy, sending postcards to friends from sun-drenched childhood holidays in Devon, through to long letters to penpals which have spanned many years, the love of mail has never left me and I hope it never does... after all, who doesn't love to receive a handwritten letter in the post?! 

Jo x

Repurposed packaging

I'm gearing up for a craft fair on Sunday so this week is being spent preparing stock, sorting packaging, labelling, advertising, working out the best way to display everything etc, etc.  I have a to-do list as long as my arm but am happily ticking off things as and when jobs are completed. 

This morning, I spent a lovely hour cutting up old sewing patterns which I use for wrapping some of my smaller items.

I love the slightly aged colour of them and the beautiful print and I'm pleased to be giving them a new lease of life.

Jo x