Win a Box of Robotness!

Hoorah! It’s my third blogoversary, and that means it’s time for a Box of Robotness giveaway. Missed my previous giveaways? It’s very simple: I’ve put together a box of things I really like, all bought by me for the giveaway. If you really like them too, leave one comment below before the first of August 2013 and you could win the lot. I’ll use a random number generator to pick out a winner on the first of August.

Set 1: dark red

So, what have I bought to put in the parcel this year? The main item is a biggie: the winner’s choice of one of these brooch/pendant and screwback earring sets. Yes, that is correct, an original vintage jewellery set.

Both are made by Bugbee and Niles, who stopped manufacturing in 1943, so 1943 is the latest the sets can date from. As they’re about 70 years old, the gold on each set is a tiny bit worn, but it’s not enough to be noticeable when they’re on. Also, the middle clear diamante at the top of the blue one has darkened, but it's still symmetrical. Just thought I’d warn you.

One set is aquamarine blue and the other a very dark red – almost black that flashes red. Both brooches can double up as pendants. The red one has the loop at the top of the 'heart' shape so the dark red teardrop diamante hang at the bottom, and the blue one hangs so the fringe of oblong aquamarine-coloured stones are at the bottom.

Set 2: aquamarine blue

If you win, I’ll ask you to let me know whether you want the dark red or the blue when you send me your address, and I’ll keep whichever you don’t want. If you win and don’t want to keep your set, please find it a home with someone who will love it as matching sets of this age are getting ever harder to find and they deserve to be treasured.

To fill in the box, there’s a couple of enamel pie dishes and some reproduction steam railway ephemera – tickets, cigarette cards and so on. Who doesn't love trains and/or pies, eh? The dishes were bought from my local independent department store, Knees of Trowbridge. I have lots of these in different sizes because they bake the best pies. You will never suffer from the dreaded ‘soggy bottom’ if you bake in them! Grease them with butter or marge before putting the pastry in and your pies will pop out cleanly when they’re cooked. Don’t use metal tools or harsh scrubbing things on them, or put them into very cold water while very hot, and they’ll stay super-shiny and last for years.

And that’s your lot! Leave a comment below (and only one, please) if you’d like to be in with a chance of winning.