Happy distraction!

After a hard week in the office ...(I'm smiling - it was fun really!) ... what better to recuperate than a sunny field sale! It's been a while since I shared any thrifting with you and I thought you might like to see some booty!
Starting with these cute little bookends and, fortuitously, on another stall, a cute little mouse!
They are now perfectly at home on the barmy shelf... so called because each item in isolation is a little barmy, but altogether they seem perfectly happy!
This little fella lives in a glass topped box with our collection of glass animals. All equally barmy too! I take my hat off to the first person to decide to make a glass animal. I don't have a single one that doesn't make me laugh!
Yard and yards of vintage seam binding in glorious colours and that HUGE wooden reel of silk thread, a 50's tablecloth of glorious blue roses and a lovely lucite brooch.
I love these brooches, I love that they look different depending upon the background, but the price has gone up. The pink one cost me 10p a couple of years ago. Today's find was an extravagant 30p! I blame the credit crunch!
These are fun! I've been in seaside theme for a while so I couldn't resist these 60's bar stirrers with a sailor tattoo theme. Think I need to mix myself a Snowball to put them to good use?
Now, frivolity over, thoughts must return to the workroom and those Easter bunnies! All pinned and ready to be stitched and stuffed! Then I can concentrate on our Easter decorations...
..we have a spring branches to decorate. More on that another day! Hope you've all had a lovely weekend. Back soon. t.x
I have just noticed this is my 100th post! I'm sure I should have marked the moment but instead I am looking forward to my Blogiversary coming soon! I think there should be a giveaway for that one! xxx

Chop chop work work

I hope everyone had a lovely weekend. I was greatly spoiled. A lovely day visiting some beautiful walled gardens full of Spring promise!
I can never resist a walled garden. Equally I'm a bit of a wall geek! There are lots of these sorts of photos in our albums. Lovely old moss covered walls encircling and protecting their gardens. I love these tumbling bricks. How on earth do they stay put?
In between gardens we enjoyed a lovely lunch here, followed by some ill-advised and over vigorous table tennis in the pub's garden!
And this week I am suffering a little culture shock! For the first time since I became a mum, and for one week only, I am working in an office!
It is only day two and already I am lost in admiration for women who do this full-time! I am only doing a bit of phone covering for hubby so it's not too taxing. But even so, I have to be up and out with make-up and smart ironed clothes and other such alien things....before the school run!! Yikes! I don't have to do any of that when I just fall into the workroom!
It is fun though. Being surrounded by office chat and technology. When hubby and I first met this was a revolutionary little desktop publishing machine!
As time went by the design became even more innovative - (sadly I was never allowed one of the flowery ones - the engineers threatened to quit if one came into the building!)
Then there was the beautifully pure white iMac.
Strange boxes and cubes...
Oh my we've come a long way!
Of course I haven't a clue what everyone is talking about - and if anyone gets too techie I'll just start talking back at them... batting and basting, french knots and couching - howzat!
To maintain my sanity I whizz home after the school run and the beautiful boy and I spend a happy couple of hours in the workroom. He is working on the most beautiful picture and I have big bunnies on the go...
and lots of these yummy little gems which I am finding quite addictive! It is so satisfying playing with little colour combinations.
I have finished three more Bun brooches which will be going into my Etsy shop as soon as I get a minute.
And I have been doing a bit of doodling for future embroidery designs - don't tell the boss!!
I can't wait to get back to my 'proper job'; those doodles need to be stitched!
School finishes on Friday for the Easter holidays so the beautiful boy and I will be able to spend some time together creating and stitching, listening to audio books and putting the world to rights. I can't wait!
I hope you are all having a good week.
And to all you working mums - I am in awe! t.x

Tea and Buns

The puppies got very over-excited today as I packed up some workroom stock and loaded the car for a trip to the coast. The seaside town of Wells is just waking up from it's winter quiet, ready for the season which will begin with the Easter Holidays.
I strolled along the Quay, taking a few pictures. It was a very cold day and quite overcast.
And somehow being there without my man and boy it all seemed, well, very big. I am no longer used to visits on my own and I missed the company.
But not for long because I was on my way to here!
One of my favourite Craft Galleries. After a lovely time chatting with the inspired and inspiring owner, I have my very own Stockist! And what a one to have! I am rather awestruck by the company my little bits and bobs are keeping this evening. But I know they were left in very safe hands.
And after all the excitement I headed to Holt for a bit of thrifting and a cuppa.
And cake of course. I've been thinking a lot about cake this week. This is my latest W.i.P.
I so enjoyed cutting and piecing cakes and buns I decided to make some of these tinky tiny Bun Brooches using some felted Witney blankets I have piled up in the workroom.
I could just eat one or two of them.
And then I so enjoyed working on a tiny scale that I have lots of other ideas I am working through so hope to have more brooches soon!
And of course, late though it is this year, with only one week left before the Easter Holidays our thoughts are turning to the Easter Bunny! This one didn't make it to Big Blue Sky - the beautiful boy fell in love and the bunny was snaffled, but I am making more to deliver to the gallery next week!
The Easter tree will go up the first day of the holidays so everything needs to be ready. I love unpacking our vintage Easter decorations as much as I love our Christmas collection. Everything has such happy memories.
This little quacker is a new addition which I made last week. He'll be hanging around for the egg hunt I expect. Last year we hunted eggs in the snow, the year before was so mild we had tea and Marzipan Cake on the lawn! I wonder what this year will bring?
I hope you are all well and enjoying your week. Another weekend is just around the corner! t.x

Sea air

Oh I do like to be beside the Seaside
Oh I do like to be beside the Sea!
I do like to stroll upon the prom, prom, prom!
Where the brass bands play;
"Tiddely-om-pom-pom!"

Oh I do like to be beside the seaside
Oh I do like to be beside the sea!
I'll be beside myself with glee
I should like to be beside
Beside the seaside!
beside the sea!

Sorry folks, another singing post! I am busy catching up in the workroom with all the half finished embroideries I've been wanting to work on the last week. Late night stitching has it's drawbacks; not least I can't see to thread the needle, but so far I'm making progress! Three completed and four still in the basket.... well I keep adding more instead of finishing what's there!
Tomorrow the beautiful boy is finally back to school. Short days but hopefully he'll be well. And on Thursday I am off to the seaside - just for the day. It's been planned for a while. I haven't been to the coast all on my own for many years.
I'm really quite excited by the prospect. A quiet day strolling beside the seaside, beside the sea! t.x

Ahoy there!

When the man o' war or merchant ship comes sailing into port
The jolly tar with joy, will sing out loud, Land Ahoy!
With his pockets full of money and a parrot in a cage
He smiles at all the pretty girls upon the landing stage...

All the nice girls love a sailor
all the nice girls love a tar
For there's something about a sailor
(Well you know what sailors are!)
Bright and breezy, free and easy,
He's the ladies' pride and joy!
He falls in love with Kate and Jane, then he's off to sea again,
Ship ahoy! Ship ahoy!

He will spend his money freely, and he's generous to his pals,
While Jack has got a sou, there's half of it for you,
And it's just the same in love and war, he goes through with a smile,
And you can trust a sailor, he's a right man all the while!

All the nice girls love a sailor
All the nice girls love a tar
For there's something about a sailor
(Well you know what sailors are!)
Bright and breezy, free and easy,
He's the ladies' pride and joy!
He falls in love with Kate and Jane, then he's off to sea again,
Ship ahoy! Ship ahoy!

I have really enjoyed hand-quilting and binding these Sailor's Sweethearts. It seems to bring the embroidery to life.
Hope you are all having a lovely weekend. t.x

Suffering terribly!

A lazy post from the poorly house!
After each trip to the doctor this week we have not come home empty handed -the kitschen pharmacy has gone wholesale! Happily the beautiful boy, far from behaving like a child about whom the doctor is really quite concerned, is instead bouncing off the walls. I blame those nasty little pink pills - which, I am assured, taste like poo.
Thankfully mumsie came to the rescue bringing essential provisions for good health...
Don't you just love that food ethic of the 1970's! This is the sort of feast my own grandma would lay out for me when I was poorly. Of course one needs doughnuts! Sugar is the essence of recovery!
Having polished off the flying saucers, I must say, for the moment at least, I agree! Feeling much better thank-you very much!
I think a doughnut would just top it off nicely...
along with a bit of reading - a lazy week well timed to coincide with a new magazine! OH the suffering!
Just one more picture, this is a quickie as requested by Lucy the Queen of Crochet! And before you ask, I didn't make a single one - they're all thrifted!
Hope you and yours are all well. Normal service will resume next week - just as soon as we come down from our sugar rush!! t.x

Pause!

Well last week was a productive week - more work being started than finished is a good week.
And it was a good weekend - this is what happens when you take a child to daddy's office and turn your back a moment.....
whiteboard, pens.... who knew it was for 'important' stuff? Well the picture will cheer up the engineers.. we left it there for them to enjoy!
The farm chickens are laying their beautiful mottled and speckled eggs
what better excuse is there to bake a HUGE lemon dribble traybake.. and this is all that is left..
The apple tree that had been breaking roof tiles on the barn every time the wind blew is now stacked up like this. These will make deliciously scented logs for the stove once they are seasoned.
We planted up a couple of old stone troughs with cheap and cheerful primulas..
and up in the top meadow, under the Birch trees, the violets have spread their carpet even further this year.
Little beauties.
Sadly the productivity is not to continue this week. The kitchen is looking more like a pharmacy..
Which has two direct consequences... this poor little face (because someone decided that childrens' medicines must taste of distilled boiled sweets!)
and this empty workroom.
By an unusual and marvellous co-incidence the deadline I had been working to this week was delayed and so I am able to relax and enjoy the cuddles.
There's something especially cosy about having a little person home unexpectedly. Soft boiled eggs and toast soldiers, a roaring stove, blankets on the sofa and daytime childrens TV. We had forgotten how much we loved Tractor Tom and Pocoyo. So I'll be back when I can, but for now I have a little snuggly boy to enjoy.
Hope you're all having a lovely week. t.x