Country Living - here's what I bought ....

My best buy was these three fabulous, original, old wooden spools, complete with 5 metres of ribbon on each spool. My only regret was not buying a lot more. As you can see my purchases were not big or indeed expensive, but they all give me a lot of pleasure, so worth every penny in my book.

And I bought this sweet little wooden boat, for the summerhouse, but it didn't get outside the study yet as I love looking at it.

These little tin painted chickens came in a pack of x 12. Oh how I wish I had bought more.

And they make lovely additions to my cards. SO cute!

Then there is the lovely felt flower brooch, fabulous for clothing or hats. I just love it.

Looks good on either of these

Although I make my own cards and I use my photographs for them too, I still like to buy unusual ones, these were from Laura Long. She knits the lovely toys on the cards.

Country Living Fair

I went to the Fair on Saturday, it was in Islington, London at the Business and Design Centre. I could have spent all day in Islington. The markets there were fabulous especially if you like browsing around bric a brac, vintage clothes and china etc, it is an alladin's cave of finds.

Anyway back to my visit to 'Country Living'. I went with my son's girlfriend, Esme, we had a fabulous day and a few funny moments too, so a good day although very tiring, especially the tube train journey to and from my son's home in Marylebone. Going home after walking around for about 5 hours was a killer, we could hardly pick our feet up to climb the steps in the underground.

Tomorrow I will show you my few purchases, I wanted everything !! but had to budget wisely to include all the travel and lunch costs as well as the ticket price, but I am more than happy with looking, taking photo's meeting lovely people and just being there.

A Vintage shop in Islington, I must go back and visit.

The building was old with beautiful details

Lot's of people.

Beautiful Nick Nacks for the home.

Fabulous clothes and scarves

A Vintage stall, love the chair which was sold.

Laura Long's, knitted toy stand

LAURA LONG was exhibiting these knitted toys and the book was written by Laura with patterns of all the toys seen here and I expect more. All can be bought from her @
http://www.lauralong.co.uk/

Chutneys and goodies from Provence

Below, Bags made from sourced Vintage Fabrics, so they are one off's.

can be bought from 'Cattapilla Designs'

http://www.cattapilladesigns.com/

More Vintage stands

An 'Arty Farty' week

I have been in a very 'Arty Farty' mood this week, so it's just as well that it's rained over the past few days and I couldn't get anything done on the lottie (although Ali thinks that's a poor excuse ! she's such a slavedriver ) anyway today I started making some more hearts and then realised that I had run out of wadding to fill them. So off to the shop where I buy the wadding and fabrics. Never a good idea ! as I always come home having spent more money and bought lots of things I didn't go for. Hmm ! I came back having spent £20 , on wadding, 2 x fat quarters ( American for large squares of quilting fabric, in case you weren't familier with the term ) embroidery threads, (they sell devine colours, I wanted them all ) ribbons, cotton, and the most amazing twisted skein of fab coloured textured threads that are hand dyed. It looks so delicious all twisted together that I can't bear the thought of un-twisting it and using it, I just want to look at it. (sad eh !) They had a basket full of the most amazing colourways. I will use it to adorn cards and hearts.

Here's the Hearts that started the shopping trip.

And here are my purchases, sorry the lighting is so bad, so the colours aren't true to life.

And here's the twist of textured threads.

see what I mean about the amazing colours


Then I made some envelopes out of magazine pages, they look so good especially the ones made from the Waitose magazine as it has lovely watercolours of fruit and veg on it.

Some more from the magazine I get from RHS every quarter, they make good ones too.

Sorry! poor lighting, I should have taken thes photo's in daylight.

My little Beech Hut cupboard I re-vamped from an old victorian bathroom cupboard is so handy and holds lots of ribbons and cottons, it's being very well used.

Well thats about it apart from my Crochet throw. I have one more granny square and then I can chrochet all around and picot the edge and it's finished. I want to give it to Florence as an Easter present. I have kept it as a surprise from my daughter-in-law, I hope she likes it, as although it's for the baby, she also has to live with it.,

New Card Designs

I Just thought I would share some cards that I have made today. It was raining so I couldn't get to the allotment to plant the broad beans, so I made cards instead. All for sale if anyone is interested please e-mail me for prices.

The cards are small square size 5" x 5" good quality card with matching envelopes. All cards are blank for your own message, so suitable for any occasion, and come in a cellophane pocket.

The card above has an Indian wooden stamp flower border, and Indian paper flowers made from recycled cotton rags, with little jewels in the centres. I designed this one today for a friend who has moved house. (other colour flowers available)

'Easter Bunnies' I designed these for my grandchildren. They have quality mulberry paper, then little thin wooden rabbits on top, and a small sparkly heart above.

' Old Friends' I love these and have used this stamp for ages, so this one isn't really a new design, other than after stamping and water colouring I have added a three dimensional Crystal Lacquer to raise the jug and the poppies. These cards are smaller and measure 4" x 3" with hand made coloured envelopes. But the same design can be made on bigger cards.

Handmade envelopes made from quality paper.


And some old favourite cards that I continuously make as I love them. Such cute little mice.

And so it grows !

I think maybe I am getting a bit bored with the same colours, so I will be glad to try something else when this is finished. I have lots of ideas in my head that I am thinking of for the finished edges of this throw, I definitely don't wont tassels. I am going to crochet a cream border all around and then do something along the edge of that to give the whole thing a super finish. WELL that's the plan anyway !!

I thought I would buy myself a little gift.

I thought I would show you what I treated myself to. A lovely little Linen bag with a matching card purse from Pam at 'Hortensia' It arrived soon after I had ordered it, beautifully packaged, all wrapped in lovely tissue paper. It's perfect for days when you only want a lightwieght bag, lovely summer days.

Beautifully made.



Beautifully finished off.

Lovely cotton contrasting lining.


A perfect match to this lovely cotton summer cardigan (below) I had bought a few weeks ago. So now I just need the Summer to arrive !

I LOVE IT.

Crochet update, Florence's throw is growing

The throw is growing, very slowly. I only manage to crochet a few squares a day. Last night I crocheted together 8 squares, that takes an age to do. I also made 2 small flowers to sew onto some plain squares. The colours here aren't really true as I have taken them under artificial light, scroll down to a previous post for the true colours taken in day light.

A Mini Beach Hut

I have had a crafting day today. I have been re-vamping a very old Victorian bathroom cabinet that my son gave me years ago. He bought it from an antique market and it looked just fine in his old Victorian house. But then he moved and now lives in a very modern house, lots of glass and shiny surfaces so it just didn't go. It is (or was) roughly made and pine and I have had it on the floor in the summerhouse. I went up the garden to open the summerhouse door to give it an airing yesterday, and the little cupboard caught my eye for some reason and so I decided to bring it indoors and 'do it up'.

It had a bit of mold growing on it from the damp atmosphere, so I gave it a clean, painted an undercoat, oh I know it could be classed as a terrible thing to do to an antique ! then painted it with 'China White' eggshell. it looked boring and lacked character, so I added some artists acrylic in blue and painted stripes, and sponging. Then it still looked boring so I made a wee bunting to hang on the eaves. What do you think of it ?? I tried to make it look like an old beach hut, I feel that I have succeeded. It was to go back into the summerhouse, but I love it, so it may go in my study as I need extra storage space for ribbons and buttons and it has a very handy deep drawer inside.