pixie's ponderings

Life Gets in the Way....

2012-01-20T08:24:00.000Z

My apologies for my recent absence from the land of blog. Work, family stuff, evaporating muse have all made things a bit touch and go around here, but things are picking up. Woot!

My most recent little altered book to remind me how I can be happy wherever I am, if I allow myself to be.

This guy stared out as a rather abused kiddo's board book. Layers of acrylics, watercolours and crayon made a really powerful background.

The images area combination of napkin decoupage and shapes cut from old books.

I also discovered the prefect opaque white pen in this project!

I might add a bit of journaling, but not sure just yet.

I hope you enjoyed stopping by today and come back and see me soon!

Merry Christmas Madness

2011-12-24T09:48:00.001Z

Ah, what I wouldn't give for one more old-fashioned family Christmas. No chestnuts roasting on an open fire. No Christmas pageant, no carols sung by the family while gathered round the piano. Our family gatherings were more-how shall we say-random. Any year might well see the 'orphan' dishwasher from Mom's workplace asleep on the sofa in my step-dad's bathrobe, Mom's boss glaring across the table at Daddy as they hated each other from waaaaaay back in the day. There will be a pot of chili, maybe beans and cornbread and definitely some of Mama's home made fudge.

Who knows, Uncle Jack might find his way from the open road to our house, bottle of whiskey in hand, just in time for Christmas Eve revelry. He might well bring along his ex, coz we like her alot and she always brings cheese and sausage platters with her. Aunt Sis might come over too...just to add to the fun! And with any luck, it will be a year where my mom and step-dad are actually speaking to each other (one can always hope, can't they?).

Hopefully, that lot will keep it down to a dull roar so that I can pile up in front of the television to watch some good old movies, maybe The Love Boat will have a Christmas special, or maybe, just maybe...Donny and Marie!

Whatever you do, however you do it (or even if you don't)...make it a day to enjoy. Make the most of it and remember...you have folks out here who love you!

Christmas Swaps!

2011-12-22T11:35:00.002Z

I played along in a few Christmas swaps this year--not as many as years past, but just enough to make the days interesting. The first swap was with Janice of Curtains in my Tree. We did a tag swap ans she sent me these gorgeous goodies. That tiny book is adorable and that bag has me hatching all sorts of plans on ways to distribute goodies next year. I could not be more thrilled!

Second swap was with Jenny of The Gingerbread House. We swapped some thrifted goodies, some handmade goodies and bit of other stuff. Jenny sent me this most adorable felt gingerbread house:

These vintage Christmas ornaments (hubby says they had these when he was a kiddo), a really cool retro tea towel and some sweets. Thanks Jenny..it was fun!

The Memory Tree

2011-12-12T09:43:00.001Z

There is nothing that I love more than to decorate my Christmas tree. Over the years, it has taken on a sentimental twist as I accumulate more and more precious ornaments and more precious memories tied to those ornaments.

Here is our new tree in all its glory. Not matchy-matchy. Not themed. Just loads and loads of handmade and cherished treasures.

Each year when I unpack the ornaments, I love to relive the moment in time that each treasure holds. This star? I made it when Katie was not quite three. It went on the first fancy big tree we ever had. I made lots of ornaments that year, but this is the only one I have left.

This window? Kevin helped me design these. He used his fancy magic die-cut machine at work to cut the window after he put together all the measurements. I love this coz it was a project we did TOGETHER.

This tiny little stocking (it is only about two inches tall) reminds me so much of my Daddy. I can distinctly remember the day he bought me a package of four of these (one red, one blue, one pink and one yellow) from Treasure City for 97 cents. I used them for my Barbies for years and when I got too old, they were packed away, waiting for their moment to shine.

This ornament reminds of all the lovely, generous artists that I know. The first year I was in England, I participated in a couple of ornament swaps and in that ONE year, we filled up the tree with darling handmade ornies. I love them and will cherish them forever.

This one reminds me of my mom. She has a number of these on our tree and gave them to me a few years before she died. She bought these when I was a little girl. Tarnish and all..they are too sweet.

This stocking was on our tree all the years of my growing up. Mama bought all of us kids one of these tiny stockings when we were babies. This one was my brother's.

This little fairy is one of about 20 that I made the first year I was here. I hope that someday my kids will cherish it.

These silk baubles my mom bought in the 1960s when we were little kids. There were 8, but sadly, I only have two left.

Happy, Creepy Halloween!

2011-10-31T11:21:00.003Z

Haunted House
by Jack Prelutsky

There's a house upon the hilltop
We will not go inside
For that is where the witches live,
Where ghosts and goblins hide.

Tonight they have their party,
All the lights are burning bright,
But oh we will not go inside
The haunted house tonight.

The demons there are whirling

And the spirits swirl about.

They sing their songs to Halloween.

"Come join the fun," they shout.

But we do not want to go there

So we run with all our might

And oh we will not go inside

The haunted house tonight.

Happiest of Halloweens to you and yours. Enjoy!

Terrorific Tuesday

2011-10-25T08:28:00.000+01:00

Halloween is almost here! This is the last post of the series and I will be a bit sad to see it end. Today, we are looking at something I made last year. I found a most awesome artist, Scott Stoll, and was amazed at his creations of papier mache and recycled materials. Most amazingly, he is so open and giving that he shares all his secrets and techniques with his readers. How generous!

I am all aboutre-use. I am also all about fun new ways to use old standbys. Using his basic pumpkin instructions I made this cute guy. It was a fun learning experience and my family was amazed at the progress. From trash bag and newspapers to permanently grinning jack o lantern. Fabulous!

I Interrupt Halloween to Bring You...Christmas!

2011-10-19T15:11:00.000+01:00

In an effort to keep on top of holiday crafting, I am having to work on both Halloween and Christmas at the same time! On one of my swap groups, we do altered matchbox swaps three or so times a year. The theme for this swap is Winter/Christmas.

I altered these to look like little houses. Snow on the rooftop and tiny little cards inside. Fun!

Terrorific Tuesday...Not So Scary Version

2011-10-18T08:48:00.000+01:00

So, I have had this little guy cut out and on my craft table for weeks. I finally made time to put him together and I just adore him. I used a pattern from here: http://the-polka-dot-umbrella.blogspot.com/2011/09/charley-ghost-pattern.html

I added some chalk shading around the edges and a bit of blush to his cheeks for colour (and cuteness).

Want to see more terrorific Halloween ideas? Pop on over to The Swell Life to see more season goodness!

Winner Winner, Chicken Dinner!

2011-10-16T08:29:00.001+01:00

We have a winner for the Halloween giveaway. Wanda of Two Crafty Mules...you are the winner! I will contact you for your address. Thanks to everyone who left their fave Halloween story for me..I had such fun reading them!

Christmas to Halloween Conversion....and Orange Walls

2011-10-11T08:26:00.001+01:00

How do you turn a Christmas thing into a Halloween thing? Simply add some moss and a few Haloween ATCs, maybe a skeleton if you have one and even a fun little chenille jack o lantern...that's how!

I took a Christmas themed picture holder, plonked it into a black vase, added some moss and presto-changeo...you have a fun way to highlight some fave seasonal ATCs! It also helps add to the overall Halloween atmosphere if you already have orange walls (not my choice, folks). Just sayin'.

I am linking up with Terrorific Tuesdays over at The Swell Life. Pop over and see all the spooky goodness!

Halloween Giveaway!

2011-10-07T08:07:00.001+01:00

Hey...wanna win this guy? He is handmade by me of paperclay and vintage tins, papers, ribbons and button. It is a bit late, but I will do my best to get him to you by Halloween (that, of course, depends on where you are in the world). Leave a comment telling me your favourite Halloween memory (just coz I like to hear other folk's stories) before October 15th for a chance to win. One comment per person please and good luck!

Sweets for the Sweet

2011-10-05T08:23:00.002+01:00

Don't you just love candy corn? I do, but poor hubby has never had it and has no idea what he has been missing out on! It is probably a good thing for me that candy corn, mallowcreme pumpkins and their friends the witches teeth simply do no exist this side of the pond.

Here are some candiesthat have not one single calorie and will last from year to year. Cut from the salvaged wood from an old picnic table, hubby planed the wood and sanded his little fingers to the bone just for my project! I simply painted and distressed them and now I have a syn-free treat to last forever!

Happy New Home...

2011-10-04T09:54:00.000+01:00

So, what do you do with a tatty old shadowbox that you picked up at the car boot sale?

You give it a coat of spray paint...

after doing a not-so-great job of patching the cracks and holes.

You dig out some of your fave trinkets and doo-dads.

You add to that some fave photos and papers.

Leave a few empty spaces for future finds.

You have a little stroll down memory lane...

and you arrive at a new place that you simply love.

Tiny Packages

2011-09-28T13:56:00.002+01:00

Summer is gone and Fall is here, but the weather is not telling the same story. Very warm summer temperatures have appeared this late September week, but you won't find me complaining. I am off work most of the week and have really enjoyed myself.

I have been looking online at matchbox shrines and just know that my pile of vintage matchboxes can be put to a better use. This little box is a wooden one and cutting it was a trial, but I think it turned out ok. The little zombie gal does seem to like it in there....

Shameless Self Promotion....

2011-09-23T10:46:00.001+01:00

I am selling off some of my recent Halloween creations in order to save a for a(hoped for) trip to see my grandson. Please pop over to my ebay and have a look:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/220862418936?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649

Clothespin Dollies!

2011-09-20T09:12:00.001+01:00

Hey there. Long time, no see. A new job has kept me very busy--too busy--and my creative side has taken a backseat. I did manage, however, manage to make something this weekend and wanted to share it (them) with you.

These little ladies were so much fun to make! I got my inspiration from many websites and tutorials on the internets. I googled 'clothespin dolls' and there were like a million photos to inspire.

I can see this becoming an obsession. I loved seeing their little personalities coming to life as I used scraps and bits and pieces to bring life to me new little friends.

Some will be gifts, some for myself. There will be more to come as I work out the kinks in the process.

The little Halloween missy will have place of honour amongst my Halloween decor this year!

Batty!

2011-09-06T14:24:00.004+01:00

Some fun little friends to help us usher in the Halloween crafting season! Big, chunky tombstones are topped off with moss, rusty wire and cute as can be fabric bats.These little guys are patiently waiting for their special night!

Something From Nothing...The Spooky Brothers

2011-07-22T08:11:00.003+01:00

I love to rescue orphans and give them a new life. In my world, everything has an opportunity to become beautiful once again.Tatty old candlesticks and polystyrene balls come together for an afternoon of fun.

Add their old friend paperclay, and something magical begins to happen.

The Spooky Brothers have been born. Dusty and Musty, a bit tatty around the edges, their hearts are big. Spooky only in name, they would never ever scare anyone!

Interested in giving these guys a home? Email me at scwk0511@yahoo.com and let's talk!

The Turtles Go Marching Two by Two...

2011-07-17T16:19:00.004+01:00

...or in this case, in threes. Cute as can be new friends have found themselves a new home, here with me and my other soft little friends. The pattern is here and oh-so-easy to make!A pincushion is a funny thing. For me, it has to be just right. The right size and weight. the fabric has to be sturdy but not so stiff that you cannot get a pin into it. I wasn't happy with my old one, so I took just a few minutes to make a new one yesterday. Perfect in every way, right down to the gorgeous vintage fabric!

And finally, a new sewing basket to match! The fabric is an old quilt that I bought for 50p a couple of years ago and promptly forgot about. I found it on Saturday, fell in love all over again, and made a liner for my go-to sewing basket. I haul this thing all over the place with me when I am working on a project, so I am even happier now that it is so sweetly decorated! It was super-easy to do and took just a little bit of the day to complete.

I have also had my paperclay out, working on some Halloween goodies, but those pics will have to wait for another day.

Thanks for stopping by!

The Happy Couple

2011-07-04T09:16:00.003+01:00

Meet the happy couple....Just a little something I made from this pattern.

I also made Boogie some shorts and overalls. I hope they fit as I had no measurements (someone never sent me measurements, so I had to guess).

And I made some cushions for the sofa. I am hoping to paint the living room this summer in a cool blue shade that matches the blue in these cushions. Mr G is not keen, but he is begginning to see the light (and he may be afraid that I will stop cooking for him if'n I don't get my way).

Well, that is all for now. I have a ton of ATCs to post tomorrow, so stay tuned!

I am a Bad, Bad Girl....May and June Tags

2011-06-14T14:25:00.004+01:00

I seem to have dropped the ball in May and not posted my tag, so here it is. May was a strange month full of warm sunny days, no rain, and then grey skies and unbelievable winds. I have given my tags the best of May with bleeding hearts, bluebirds and strawberries. Our alpine strawberries have been going strong for some time and the wildlife love them! The bleeding heart that appeared in our garden was over 6ft across and just glorious (I will post a pic soon) until the wind got hold of it. There is always next year!June's tag reflects that the strawberries have finally come on and we are harvesting really gorgeous berries for the first time since we planted these 3 years ago. I have allowed them to spread naturally and there are maybe 300 plants out there...just waiting for strawberry shortcake, jam and all other things berrylicious! I have also included some peas as those have survived the ravages of the cheeky blackbirds and we had our first fresh peas this week.

Thanks for stopping by, I hope you enjoyed your visit. Please check out the Happy Homemaker button on the sidebar for more wonderful tags!

Guess What Time It Is?

2011-06-05T17:23:00.000+01:00

Yep, it is just about that time.....

A Bit of ATC Fun...

2011-05-31T22:06:00.006+01:00

I've been busy again, making fun ATCs. Enjoy!

Thanks for stopping by. Have a fun and whimsical day!

Adult-Themed ATCs...

2011-05-08T14:18:00.002+01:00

So, they're not all that bad really, but I need to warn those that are easily offended...

Art Deco Ladies

2011-05-03T14:31:00.004+01:00

I made about a bazillion encasutic cards last week when I was playing around, mostly backgrounds of different sorts. These backgrounds were some of my faves.What better way to use them than for the latest ATC swap, Art Deco Ladies. Vintage ephemera add paired with movie quotes of the era make for a fun card.

These will be winging their way over to Jo, just on the other side of the country, very soon.

Playing With Wax

2011-04-26T20:26:00.004+01:00

Today the weather was crap. After two glorious weeks of sun and warm, we have returned to the dreary cols days of Spring. Ick. I stayed inside and made a few cards with the encaustic wax set Mr G got me for Christmas. These landscapes were easy and turned out ok for a first try.

These are headed for a swap at ATCs for All. I hope the folks there enjoy them!

The Eye

2011-04-22T10:02:00.005+01:00

Here we are folks, on The Eye. One gigantic, amazing ferris wheel that had me quaking in my boots! I hate heights, but more than that, I have an irrational fear of them. just the thought makes me go weak and wobbly...and not in a good way! We braved it. The Boy loved it, hubby thought it was ok, and as for me..I just sat very still, but did enjoy the ability to see so much. I did remember to not look down tho.

And Just to Think...I Almost Quit!

2011-04-18T09:59:00.003+01:00

Yep, I almost gave up on ATCs. Just wasn't feeling it. My mojo went a-go-go. So I took a break and discovered that I missed making and trading these little cards....so now I am back with a vengeance.Game themed cards. I tried to think of the games I loved most as a child and these four goodies are what I came up with. Twister was a particular favourite.

And Candyland! Who didn't love that game? The truth is that I just loved the blocks of colour and this particular part of the board was my fave. Love the gumdrops! Can you hear 'Big Rock Candy Mountain' playing in the background? I can!

Cartoon swap. What can I say, I am still a sucker for good old fashioned comics and cartoons. Snuffy Smith. i used to read this with my Grandma. I still think of her whenever I read it. And the Goolies were the coolest monsters around!

I was just watching some old Foghorn Leghorn toons the other day and giggling like I was 10yrs old all over again. And Andy Capp...one introduced to me by my Daddy. Loved him then, and now, I get the humour of it. We all have an Andy in our lives at some point, I think.

Well, that's it for today. I have more cards in the works so stay tuned!

April Happy Homemaker Tag Swap

2011-04-04T07:27:00.003+01:00

April is a month of changes here on the east coast of England. We have been hunkered down for months against the grey and gloomy skies, but April brings us the promise of sunnier, warmer days. Warmer days mean the little flowers and plants have begun to show their faces. It also means windy, blustery days in the mix, so we try and make the most of the sun while it is out.This is Tammy. She lives next door and appreciates a treat of a carrot or an apple (when we have them). She has a partner, Arnie, but he didn't want his photo taken. I am not a horse person at all, but this gal is friendly enough and seems to understand that I am a bit scared of her.

These little flowers make me so happy. They are Grecian Windflowers and as a alpine, do quite well here. We can be very windswept this close to the sea.

The Forsythias seem to know when I cannot take anymore gloom and arrive just in time to save me from it all!

Narcissus. The chickens did alot of damage to the garden last year and these poor guys were amongst their many, many victims. They will be replaced this Autumn.

Bet you think I forgot about the tag, eh? Here it is...all blustery and windy. Perfect kite-flying weather! I wanted to try something I had never tried before, so I used a bit of machine sewing on this card to attach the clouds and for the kite string. Thinking inside the box and using supplies on hand, the kite tail in a stripped-down version of some of those decorative yarns. The other bit was fluffy and not at all right for the purpose, so I just pulled it off and used the bit that looked more like a kite's tail. The image is from an old greeting card(we like those best). Layering of patterned papers makes it complete!

I do hope you enjoyed your visit here today. Want to see more tags? Then pop over to Elizabeth's blog and have a look around.

Have a great day and remember to make hay while the sun shines!

New ATCs

2011-04-01T08:16:00.003+01:00

I seem to be getting back into the groove of things, and just to spur me on, I have signed myself up for a ridiculous amount of swaps over at ATCs for All. The first four are for a vintage photo swap. Now, as I was perusing vintage photos on the interwebz, it dawned on me that I was being rather, how shall we say...obtuse. I do have a huge amount of vintage family photos at my disposal and I was just making things harder than they needed to be!This first one gives me a giggle as my Grandpa (that's him on the lower right) would be most bemused to know that he was EVER the subject of anyone's art.

The second set of cards are for a 'Fairy Men' swap.

I especially like the one on the right here. He doesn't look at all bemused to be the subject of my art. Shame on him!

Just Because...

2011-03-23T11:33:00.002Z

A little fabric collage I put together recently. I know you guys have been feeling neglected. Since I discovered that I can print directly on fabric with my inkjet printer, I have been having so much fun with this stuff!

Innocent Babes? I Think Not....

2011-03-09T07:30:00.002Z

Did you ever sign yourself up for something and then wonder what in the heck you were gonna do about it? It is no secret that my mojo has taken a powder over recent months, but it appears to be contemplating a return. I get little teasers of energy and creativity and I try to take advantage of them when they pop round.

So, back to the challenge. Over on ATCs For All, I signed up for a swap that was all about a text background. Easy peasy you say? Indeedy...the background part, that is. The image, not so much. What to do, what to do?

A random dig thru my folder of images reminded me that I have these adorable baby collage sheets, courtesy of THIS Flickr group. These babies just make me smile...they are so cute...or are they? Maybe they are not as innocent as they seem. Methinks there is some tomfoolery afoot.So, if they got caught...what would they say? What sort of alibi would they come up with? Thus, a story come to life and some ATCs are born.

Easy, peasy.

Easter Eggs...Is it Too Soon?

2011-03-07T13:05:00.003Z

I made these a few weeks ago....is it too soon to post them? Tissue paper, Mod Podge and a few bits of ribbin and flowers. Just what I needed in the last weeks of winter!

Happy Homemaker Tag Swap; March Addition

2011-03-04T08:40:00.002Z

It has been cold and wet here, moreso than usual. England has had the hardest winter in 100 years and the effects are beginning to be evident. The flowers have taken an especially long time to show their pretty little faces this year and it is still far too cold to do much planting.

This time of year for us is all about cleaning up and removing the dead bits left over from last year. The planting will be taking place very soon and our kitchen counters will be full of trays and pots full of the promise of greener and sunnier days.

This is our little greenhouse full of seedlings (last years). In our effort to recycle and re-purpose, the greenhouse was free to us. Kevin just had to disassemble it at one place and reassemble it at ours. It has made a world of difference and each year is the home first to tender little babies and later on to a jungle of tomatoes, peppers and chilis. On the right, in the back, you can see a large metal tub. It now catches the rain runoff from the greenhouse roof (keeping it green folks) but was, once upon a time, my MIL's washtub. Can you imagine doing your laundry in that thing?
Now, onto this month's tag. since March is all about planting seeds and nurturing the little babies, I have focused on planting. Different papers in varying patterns represent the rows in our garden. Blue skies full of kite tails tell a story of windy spring days.

Of course, I must include a chicken as our chookie-girls are such a large part of our garden life. Vintage seed packets show many of the things that we are planning on growing this year...both flowers and vegetables.

As always, many many thanks for stopping by. I hope you have a joyful day!

Spring Giveaway!

2011-02-17T18:16:00.003Z

My dear friend Meri is having a great giveaway over on her blog. She is offering up a custom scuplture of your choice. Her work is superb. Run, do not walk over there to get your name in the hat!

Winner, Winner, Chicken Dinner!

2011-02-17T13:22:00.003Z

224 comments! Holy smokes, folks! Thanks for taking the time to stop by, say hello, and leave your name in the hat for a chance to win one of my collages. I am honoured to be amongst such inspired friends.So, without delay, the winners are (thanks to the random number generator), Ksenia (Oxana) and Astrid McClean! Yay!

I have contacted both and am waiting on response from one of the winners.

Thank you again to all who played along..I had a blast getting to know you all! I hope you will be staying around a while. I have some fun stuff planned in the next few months!

So This is Me...

2011-02-14T10:46:00.004Z

Firstly, welcome to my new followers. I hope you will stop by often and say hello. It does get lonely here, so far from home.

Secondly, it is my friend Penny's birthday. Penny has the most lovely blog and has ebcome part of my blogging family here in England. Becasue of her, I have made loads of friends in my new country. as part of her birthday party, she asked that we post a pic of ourselves in our blogging position.
The best I could come up with is this picture of me from 2008 at my craft table. The morning sun has caught me out...jim-jams, morning hair and sans any sign of supportive undergarments....but this is just me.Any other time, one might find me in dungarees (overalls to my american friends back home), elbow deep in some sort of kitchen ongoings, or wandering about the garden (weather permitting).

Happiest of birthdays Penny. I hope you have a splendid day!

How Do I Love Thee?

2011-02-14T10:13:00.002Z

I know that not everyone loves the day of lovers. Some see it as a commercial fiasco set up to make money for card companies, chocolatiers and florists. But I see it as a extra little day to do a little something extra for those I love. This years cards for son and hubby capture my recent fascination with embroidery. These only took a tiny bit of time out of my day to create, but the payback was priceless. Hubby was thrilled and touched. Son gave his usual 'hmmm', but did like it (and the giant Toblerone helped).

Now I have to admit that I cannot remember where I got these patterns from. I would love to give credit, but I found them in my file of patterns without any indication of where it came from. Shame on me!Thanks for stopping by. I love our time together!

Dolly Dingle Valentine Exchange

2011-02-14T09:59:00.002Z

Looking back on my elementary school days, I always recall with great joy the Valentine parties we had. Days of preparation involving paper, ribbons and all things pink and hearty. The best part was making my own Valentine bag or box. The chance to be freely creative was a treasured part of the celebration.

Elizabeth of Creative Breathing/Bluebird papercrafts has hosted a Dolly Dingle Valentine Swap this year. I posted the Valentines I made some time back, but these are the two that I received in exchange.

The first is from E herself. I am beyond thrilled to have a bit of her art here in my little cottage in the fields of rural Lincolnshire. I have admired her style for quite sometime and I believe she captures the spirit of the season in addition to the real essence of a time long past. Thanks E...I will treasure it forever.Secondly, I have received an oh-so-cute, over-the-top precious Valentine from Dear Betty at She's Sew Pretty. Betty contacted me thru Flickr and is now a dear crafting friend. Thanks Betty...I just adore this!

Thanks E for being the hostess with the mostest and making this a Valentine's Day to be treasured!

Happy Homemaker Tag Along

2011-02-10T11:02:00.003Z

Welcome to the February Tag Along! I am participating each and every month this year in Elizabeth's Happy Homemaker Tag Swap and am having the best time coming up with a theme each month. (To see more tags, see the button on my side bar!) I made my first four tags in a frenzy back in December, so I don't have actual 'process' photos, but I do have some additional pics that will let you know where my thoughts are coming from in the swap.

In January, the seed catalogs start flying in thru the mail slot. We get TONS of them and they are such a treat to browse thru, but I am a woman on a mission. I will not be distracted from the task at hand...finding flowers that will grow despite my brown thumb! Hubby and I spend hours and hours pouring over the books discussing what tomatoes, carrots, etc to plant to feed the fam, but the entire time, all I can think about are flowers and pumpkins!

My tag for this month represents some things I love... images of children, the planning of the garden, spending time with someone I love in a shared passion and vintage-themed papers. Once again, the papers are from Cosmo Cricket. I used dimensional dots to give some layers to the tag and for a bit of interest and since I am all about the embroidery right now...a bit of stitching around the edges that ended up reminding me of those stitching cards we all had a little kids.

Part of the planning in the garden has sadly been managing the loss of a large number of trees due to heavy gale force winds that come every year. In addition to that, we had these enormous trees (40ft tall!) that had to come down. The neighbours were complaining to the council and quite honestly, they just were not safe anymore. So, in 2008, when I had only been here a few weeks, Mr G and I tackled the job. He climbed a very tall ladder, chainsaw in hand, and began cutting away. I was terrified. He was not. I think he enjoyed it coz he got to get out his mountain climbing gear!It was a several day process. Mr Kirk had to come over with his giant chainsaw to cut the trunks down to the ground.

Here it is looking all neat and tidy, my new flowerbed all sunny and ready for planting...now where are those catalogs? What you cannot see is the 13 trailer loads of tree parts we had to take to the landfill. Also what you cannot see is that the trunks were cut into sections, stacked and now serve as a windbreak where the other numerous trees have blown over. Waste not, want not, I always say!

So, that is my tag for the month and a little about how my brain works in this type of challenge.
Please do take a moment to stop by Elizabeth's place and see McLinky for the other tags for February.

One World One Heart 2011

2011-01-29T18:15:00.008Z

Welcome to my blog and the annual One World One Heart Blogging event! Every year for the past four years bloggers from all over the world have come together for the biggest and bestest meet-n-greet of all times, but alas 2011 is to be the very last years...so hop on board and join the fun! The details can all be found here.Please allow me to introduce myself. My name is Hope and I am an American living in England. I met the lovely jubbly Mr G almost 6 years ago and in 2008 my son and I filled 6 of the biggest suitcases we could find and flew across the pond to begin a new life in the rural Lincolnshire countryside. We haven't looked back since (well, maybe just a small peek every once in a while).

I love all things vintage and have made it a mission of sorts to re-purpose as much as possible in my art. Things like cereal boxes, watch parts, felted jumpers, bits of old wood and rusty findings from the back of the garage find a new life on my craft table. It's just what I do.

Using lots of vintage fabric scraps and images, I have made a few of these little guys lately. They measure 4.5 by 7 inches and would love to find a happy home in some far away land!

So, how does one win such an item? Simply leave a comment here, on this post, for a chance to be the new owner of a sweet little fabric collage. I will actually give both of these away, so in your comment let me know which one you would like to have...cottage or vintage girl. The winner will be announced Feb 17th, so you have plenty of time to get your name in the hat. This is open to anyone anywhere in the world, so don't hesitate.

You must have a blog in order to enter and please make sure I can contact you in some way thru your blog (there is nothing more frustrating than to not be able to contact a winner). I will also be announcing the winners here on my blog.

Lastly, for more about me, my collecting and my crazy family, pop on over to my other blog to see what is going on over there. I promise you won't regret it.

Cheer Up Already!

2011-01-17T10:13:00.003Z

It's what I am having to tell myself today. The skies are grey, the fog has rolled in and my weekend was less than great. So, I will post a bit of happy cuteness here, just to add a bit of cheer to my world (and hopefully yours, too!). First item is inspired by Patti at Paintin Patti. I love it and think I might have to make one for every holiday. Thanks Patti for the inspiration! For those of you who wonder, the 'box' is a tuna can. Upcycling at its best!

The second cutie is made using a pattern from Elizabeth at Creative Breathing. What this woman does with felt and paper is a true inspiration to us all! Be sure an pop over to her blog and say hello.

Lastly...something I dreamed up on my own. Summer before last I bought a couple of old wooden clock cases. No works, just the cases. The shapes were fun and I could immediately see that the potential was there for something really fun. The first one ended up being a bird themed shadowbox that holds a couple of bird nests made of horsehair that I have found in the garden.

This one was a work in progress with the ideas and theme changing as I went along. It began its life with a Cinderella theme, but I got these sweet little girl images that I wanted to use in something that I could keep on display all year long. The numeral part is from the original clock and was actually on the other side (yep, this is the backside of the clock), but ended up looking perfectly perfect outlining the opening and framing the sweet cottage image inside. Cute, no?

So, that is it for me today. Please do come back and visit me soon!

Altered Bottles

2011-01-12T15:15:00.003Z

Last summer I bought a mouldy old box of bottles for £1. Hubby wanted to know what in the world I was going to do with it. Heck if I knew.

I had a snoop on the internet and as far as I can tell, none of them are worth much but most are from the early 1900's.What does one do with such a haul? They make altered bottles, of course!

It gave me the chance to use up lots of bits and pieces I had stashed away. This cat-shaped lid was just screaming out for a project like this!

I have a few more bottles to finish up, but I need a trip into town to buy some more glue!

Thanks for stopping by and I hope to see you again real soon!

12 Month Tag Along Begins!

2011-01-08T13:35:00.003Z

I am thrilled to be playing along with Elizabeth at Bluebird Papercrafts. Each month, we make two tags, on a theme. At the end of the 12 months, we swap out one set of tags with a partner. The only rules are that the tags must be 3 x 6 and that you may only buy paper once. The rest is up to you!

I chose to do '12 Months at Wayside Garden'. The idea is to show something that is going on in our garden each month. A little challenging this time of year as everything is brown and dead. BUT, Mother Nature blessed us with a bit of inspiration in the form of snowfall...so here, an idea is born!

Vintage image found on the internet, a mish-mash of several old greeting card images. I used the blue and white polka dot paper to give the impression of snowy skies. The challenge for me was the tree. What to do, what to do? NO images made me happy and I wanted to use something I already had on hand, hence the copper wire tree! Glitter glue adds a bit of needed sparkle and the layering of papers gives some depth to the tag.

The paper purchased is the 'Garden Variety' pack which just so happens to coordinate the the 'Togetherness' pack I already had. A happy coincidence that has made my paper choices a bit more varied. I did also purchase a coordinating chipboard sticker pack to match the garden papers, but that is it for these tags. Everything else will be coming from my humongous stash of papers, etc and what images I can find online.

Each month, I will be lining up with the other participants over on Elizabeth's blog. Won't you stop by for a visit?

A New Friend!

2010-12-28T09:22:00.002Z

I recently participated in the Fall Doll Swap at Vagabond Creations (Zan Asha's little corner of the world). I was partnered with Grace Garton . Look what arrived on Christmas Eve!He is cloth with the most interesting crackle finish. I just adore him!

Cheating...Just a Teeny Bit

2010-12-24T15:18:00.003Z

So, I opened my last two boxes today. I simply do not know if I will have time tomorrow to open and post, so I cheated a tiny little bit. I do hope you don't mind.Box 2 comes from Erica Hofstetter in my home state of Texas. North Richland hills, to be exact...not a huge distance from where I grew up. Her box is perfect in all its polka-dot glory and the tiny snowman has already found a home on my Woolworth's tinsel tree. Thanks Erica!

Last but certainly not least is box #1 from Nicole Gibson-Rice. Nicole has managed to capture the sweetness of a Victorian Christmas perfectly and that includes the most unique and fun little pipe cleaner pixie tucked inside. Gorgeous!

To say that I have enjoyed this swap is to far understate how much fun it has been. To all of you who have tagged along on this journey, to everyone who took time to comment, to the artists who gave of themselves in this project....Thanks. I needed this little pick-me-up every day this month!

Almost There....

2010-12-23T11:20:00.003Z

Today's matchboxes number 4 and 3. We are almost there and I am so excited to get to the big day!

Number 4 comes from Heidi Wallace and has the most incredible cottage theme which speaks to me as I live in a little old cottage myself. The bottle brush tree is the perfect accent and that silly little pic inside? Perfect.
Number 3 is so different and fabulous! Shawnee made a real statement with the tuxedo matchbox. The elegant simplicity is just...well....perfect. I also really dig the snowflake crystal ornament inside. I may just refashion it into a charm for my charm necklace.

I wanted to show you what I have been doing with my matchboxes. Before they were opened, they were in a tree-shaped advent calendar. Once opened, I wanted to be able to see them, so I used tiny clothespins to clip them to this nasty old plastic garland draped over my new-to-me lounge drapes.

There are also a small collection of Christmas ATCs I have received this year. I love that I am able to display all the wonderful artwork shared with my by friends old and new.

I will be back tomorrow with a few Christmas pics and another matchbox. Enjoy your day!

Matchboxes and More Matchboxes!

2010-12-20T11:45:00.002Z

So here we have the next grouping of matchboxes. I simply cannot convey to you how much I have enjoyed this swap! Every day brings a new fabulous surprise.
We begin with #9 from Sandi Collins. Those little light bulbs on the box are so festive and shiny and inside re the most wonderful little jingle bell earrings. I have to share a little story with you about the earrings. Our oldest cat, the one who runs the house, has a jingly collar. These earrings sound just lie the bell on his collar and when the other cats hear my ears a'jingling, they run for the hills!

I have a confession about #8....I don't know who it's from! There is no name on the box and I seem to have misplaced the piece of paper with the name on it. Darn it. It is extra lovely too, with the Sugarplum Fairy in residence and the jingle bell ornament. Thanks to whomever created this little masterpiece!

#7, ah #7. There are not enough wonderful things to say about your sweet image and that fun charm made with a vintage Monopoly house. Linda Freeman really touched my heart as I used to love to play Monopoly with my brother and sister when I was little.

#6 is from Michelle Askeroth and not only has the tiniest little Eskimo gal on the front of the box, but inside is a miniature winter scene that just stole my heart. How clever!

Lastly, #5 from Ruth Graham in Tennessee. I adore the thick coating of icy crystals edging the box and the earrings inside will give me pleasurable wearing throughout the year. Her blog seems to be down, but thanks anyways Ruth!

I'm Back....Matchbox Countdown Resumes!

2010-12-15T13:32:00.002Z

The nutty professor has brought the camera home from work so I managed to take a pic of the matchboxes that I have opened over the last few days. I do apologize for the darkness of the photo, but it is really dreary and grey here. I do miss the sun. Ok, on to the countdown!

#16 is from Linda Smith herself. I adore the tartan paper, the teddy image and the bottlecap ornie inside. Thanks Linda!

#15 is from Peace Schuyler. The Victorian Santa is just perfect and the little button ornament is clever and oh-so-sweet.

#14 comes from Grace Easterbrook and once again, someone has read my mind and used tartan paper. (I LOVE tartan anything and can honestly trace it back to when I was 10yrs old and discovered the Bay City Rollers). Grace has tucked inside the cutest little bee charm that will find a place on my charm necklace.

#13 has the coolest image. It comes from Becky Fierberg and tucked inside is a tiny hand knitted mitten. Too cute!

#12. Glittery trees, robin red-breast, snowflakes and jingle bells. What more could a gal ask for? Christine Edwards has outdone herself here and made a really wonderful little box full of jingly goodness.

#11 comes from Freda Butler and is all sparkly and shiny. Inside is the sweetest little snowman ornament. Love it!

#10 is from Nancy Reeb in my home state of Texas. Nancy has done a swell job with her box, covering it with gorgeous burgundy paper and a lush paper flower. Inside is a really unique ornament made from beads and a bingo marker.

I love each and every one of these little treasures. Thanks to everyone who has played along and on to tomorrow!

Please Forgive Me...

2010-12-13T09:13:00.003Z

For my lack of Christmas countdown posts, but hubby has absconded withh my camera and therefore, I cannot take photos of my little matchboxes!The nutty professor has made himself a note to bring the camera home today, so I should be back on track tomorrow. In the meantime, here is an old picture of my Christmas pyramid.

# 18 and #17

2010-12-08T10:21:00.004Z

Trying to keep up, trying to keep up....lol. Two ever-so-sweet boxes opened in the last two days. Number 18 is from Michelle Rondeau in Canada. I especially love the treat inside. I have just the perfect chain for it! Thanks Michelle!

Second box, #17 , is from Francie Thornton at The Scented Cottage Studio. I just love the image on the front, the little snowflake charms dangling from the bottom and the tiny gold shoe charm inside. What a treat!

On another note, I do hope you will take a moment to pop over to my other blog, take in a few vintage Christmas commercials, videos and songs as well as a story or two....and a bit of thrifty goodness!

Blessings to you on this cold cold day!

The Countdown Resumes

2010-12-06T08:54:00.003Z

Please excuse my absence in the middle of the big countdown. I have been suffering from a big of the 'holiday blahs', but am determined to rally to the cause and get with the program! i may even change my mind and actually put my tree up and finish up my shopping.

I have been opening my matchboxes every day and today I have 4 to show you!
Starting with the tree in the middle (22), we have a little cracker from Jan Smith. The tiny little angel charm has already gained a home on my charm necklace. Well done, Jan!

#21, on the end, is from Kathy McElroy and included a bottlecap fridge magnet, a little christmas sweet bead, and a tiny cloth ornament. Kathy gets my prize for cramming the most into that tiny box!

#20 is from Valarie Kraft and uses one of my fave Santa images, mica flakes and a holly bough...what more could you ask for? There, tucked inside, was this cute little stocking ornament (destined for my tiny tinsel tree).

Lastly, #19 is from Michelle Gibson. Michelle has captured my heart with her use of buttons and beads! The button ring included is going to be a new fave accessory!

The matchboxes that have been opened are being added to the garland over my living room window along with the Christmas ATCs that I have received this year.

I am off to town this morning to do a bit of supply shopping and to buy some cat food. Enjoy your day and stay tuned for more matchboxes!

Rocking My World Friday!

2010-12-03T08:37:00.004Z

I put the button on my blog a few weeks ago after several invites to join in, but just couldn't find my mojo till this week, so here we go:So, what is rocking my world this Friday?

Sunshine! It has been a crazy week with all the snow, wind, ice, cold temps and misery and I am grateful for the sun this am. As is the case with this part of the country, the sun may not last as we have very changeable skies, but I am happy for Mr sunshine to have stopped by to say hello.

Family. I love my family. The entire rat-bag crazy lot of them.

My warm cozy little house. When the wind is howling outside, our little house is the perfect refuge.

Friends. Old ones, new ones, blogging ones. Each of you makes my life better!

Freedom. The freedom to believe what I want or to not believe the same as everyone else.

The Delete Button. 'Nuff said.

Got some stuff you want to sing out about? Join us for Rockin' Your World Friday. The link is on my sidebar.

23 Days till Christmas!

2010-12-02T11:55:00.005Z

this little sweetie is from Lyneen at Dreaming of Castles. I love the front image and just adore the little cookie embellishments and already know where I am going to use them! Thanks Lyneen!

Wanna know something funny? My boy, my teenage-I am too old for silly childhood stuff-my parents embarrass me daily-my life is so boring-yes, THAT boy, has been looking forward to opening these little boxes every day! He is getting a real kick out of the uniqueness of them all.
Seems they never really grow all the way up.

Speaking of my boy...if you want to read a bit more about me, my life, my family, the big move and watch a few Christmas clips...pop on over to my other blog, Life According to Me and have a look. We have a giggle and tell some tall tales from my crazy life. I look forward to seeing you there!

Matchbox Swap Countdown Begins!

2010-12-01T10:41:00.002Z

I participated in A Swap for All Seasons matchbox countdown swap this year. 70 participants each made 25 matchboxes numbered 1-25 and sent them to the hostess who performed magic, swapped them all out, and sent out 70 parcels all over the world. Each player got back matchboxes from 25 different players, numbered 1-25. I forgot to mention that each matchbox had a small gift inside.I think the idea was to star at number 1 and work your way UP to 25, but in my mind and because it is just the way I have always done it, I am starting at 25 and going down to number 1. It is the idea that it shows how many days are left till the big day. So, today, I opened 25 and 24.
I know I took a lousy pic here, but #25 is from Kelly Moore at For The Love of Laundry. Her little gift was a cute flower hair clip. #24 is from Elena Lai Etcheverry at The Travelling Princess. Her little gift was a tiny crown charm.

Be sure to stay tuned for more matchbox reveals. This should be fun!

A Few Frosty Friends

2010-11-23T09:07:00.003Z

Inspired by Elizabeth at Bluebird papercrafts/Creative Breathing, I have crafted these two little snowmen from one of my favourite mediums, paperclay. Created in the theme of using what you have, the bases are tin cans I had in my stash. I Modpodged napkins over them and then added glitter.

The red crepe paper from my stash, the pink from saved christmas cracker crowns. I like to save everything...you just never know when you will need it!

Simple, yet full of charm. Just the way I like it!

Just a Little Something....

2010-11-22T12:56:00.003Z

A bit of fun on a cold windy day. I forgot I had this old 'bubble' style picture frame, picked up for pennies at a car boot sale. A few layers of paper and images. A bit of bling via glitter and a couple of embellishments, and you have it.A great little picture to help usher in the holidays!

Thanks for stopping by. I hope to have a few more things to show you later in the week. enjoy your day!

Fun with Acetate

2010-11-09T15:59:00.003Z

I made these ATCs for a swap all about transparencies. It is a method I used to make some Remembrance Day cards last year and i thought it would be perfect for these cards. I used Mod Podge to adhere a rose napkin to a bit of re-purposed cereal box. When the napkin is dry, swipe a bit of gesso over it to dull the colours a bit. It should take a very short time to dry, and once it does, use a bit of gold Rub N Buff or some similar gold wax and dry brush it over the dried gesso, just catching the texture of the napkin. Let dry.

I then dug out my copper Stickles and traced the pattern of the rose petals and smuded that with my fingers. Let dry. Shouldn't take too long. While that is drying, print off an image, a poem, a quote...whatever inspires you....onto the acetate. It is important that you use your laser printer for this as you are going to topcoat and the inkjet will smear. The other option is that you reverse the text (mirror image) in some photo program so that the text is on the backside of the acetate. If you do the mirror image text or photo, you can use your inkjet printer, no problem.

Decide on the placement of your acetate and cut it to the size of your card. You want it to be the same size as the card. Add a thinnish layer of Mod Podge to the card and put your acetate directly on top of that, smoothing from the center outwards. Place between layers of waxed paper and weigh down with several large books. Let dry overnight.Once dry, use Stayzon ink and stamp any extra flourishes, etc onto the card. It should dry quickly. Once it is dry, you will want to coat the top of the cards with a layer or two of Mod Podge. Let dry overnight. The following day, ink the edges of the card with charcoal or black ink and you are done!

Hints:

1.If you hate Mod Podge (and i know there are those of you out there who do), you could skip the final coating and just spray it with some sort of matte sealer. You are just trying to take the shine off.

2.If you just don't have any Mod Podge you could use PVA or PPA to attach the napkin to the card. You could then use a very clear double-stick tape to attach the acetate to the card.

3.Also, if you find that your cards are curling up, just leave them under the books for a few more days till they are good and dry.

I hope that you enjoy making a few of these cards for yourself and if you do, please let me know so I can see them!

The Wind is Beginning to Blow....

2010-11-08T10:56:00.003Z

And that means that winter is not too far behind! In preparation, I have made a new snow friend.Stanley is ready for the holidays and will soon be flying off to a secret destination.

I hope his new owner will love him as much as I do!

Christmas Ornie Swap

2010-11-08T08:48:00.002Z

This paperclay ornament has gone out in a swap. Sadly, he got damaged in shipping, so I am making another one this week. Guarantee the new one will be packaged to survive a bomb blast!Thanks for stopping by and look out for another post later on today.

2010-10-31T15:27:00.000Z

Happiest, spookiest of Halloweens to you all.....

The Tale of Ellen Carruthers

2010-10-30T12:42:00.003+01:00

You may remember a past post about an auction purchase that held a surprise bounty of 1950's toys. In the toy box were lots of bits and pieces and several bits of paper that indicated that the toys once belonged to one Ellen Carruthers. I was touched that so much of a little girls life was somehow just chucked away. I wondered if Ellen was still alive ans if she would appreciate how in awe I was of her simple childhood possessions.So, for months, Ellen's toys have been in a box on my landing, waiting for a purpose.

I wanted to give them a place of honor in my home. So, this idea was born. I would display them in an original and interesting way that would allow them to be seen and appreciated.

An old grapevine wreath is the base. The toys are glued and wired onto the base in a hodge-podge manner. I love that there are nooks and crannies. I love the randomness of it.

And so the tale of Ellen Carruthers can be told over and over. The past touches me in such a way that I cannot stand to see the everyday bits and pieces just tossed to the side.

On the Tenth Day of Christmas, My True Love Gave to Me....

2010-10-25T08:51:00.004+01:00

Ten lords-a-leaping! Or so the song says. I am playing along in an altered matchbox swap with some friends over at The Linen Shelf. Because I waffled on whether or not I wanted to play along (I am trying to not over commit myself with swaps), I got the last spot. The one no one else wanted. Oh yes, folks love swans-a-swimming, maids-a-milking and golden rings, but no one showed any love for the lords-a-leaping, so that is what I got. What to do, what to do.Anyone who knows me, knows I think outside the box. My influences come from all over and tend not to be so traditional. Recently, I am lovin' the Jazz Age, so my ten lords-a-leaping have taken their cue from that.

My lords are The Nicholas Brothers, the kings of American tap dance at that time. Probably not the 'lords' that most had in mind, but in my mind, they are just perfect!

Feel free to check out the Nicholas Brothers online and prepare to be amazed. Here is a video of them with Cab Calloway. Enjoy!

Full Moon Over Fishtoft

2010-10-23T20:42:00.002+01:00

We had the most gorgeous full moon tonite. Perfect. More like a movie set than real life.

Hubby scooted outdoors to snap a few photos.

Playing with different camera settings.Our little village is all a-glow.

Hope you enjoyed these. Feel free to use them in your artwork if you wish.

Thanks for stopping by. Have a wonderful, wicked weekend!

Creative Bursts of Energy

2010-10-13T10:46:00.003+01:00

Can often lead to some really random ATC creations!

This first set is done over a wash of watercolours, embossed in irridescent ink and then washed over again with black. Rub the paint off the embossing and you get a really cool effect. Images from an old magazine, kindly sent to me by my friend Laura.
Second set of cards are really more like child's play. Seriously, a technique used by almost all kids in school--crayon drawings washed with black paint. I added highlights to mine after they dried and I just love the effect.

This method just allowed me to play a bit...just what I needed!

Thanks for stopping by and have a great day!

A Little Giveaway

2010-10-12T09:19:00.002+01:00

I am having a little giveaway over on my other blog. Pop on over and leave a comment for a chance to win!

Boo!

2010-10-07T08:25:00.004+01:00

A while back, I showed you a papier mache jack-o-lantern I was working on. Well, I finally finished him! Don't you just love his goofy grin? The inspiration came from Scott Stoll at Stolloween. What an incredible artist he is!

The process was very easy, but I did have issue with getting my hands on some supplies. I made do with what I could manage to find, and all worked out very well in the end. Hooray!

EDIT: I have had a request for the recipe and technique for this guy. The papier mache was just flour and water with strips of newspaper dipped in. The form was a garbage bag full of wadded-up newspaper. Once the bag was the size I wanted, I used masking tape to mark off sections and make indentations for the ridges. I used a toilet roll for the stem. It was hot-glued to the top once one layer of papier mache had been used to cover the entire structure. All in all, there were about three layers of mache on the pumpkin before I cut a hole in the bottom and pulled out all the 'guts'. Now, truth of the matter is, you should leave all that stuff to help support the structure as you add more papier mache, but I didn't and had a near-collapse. Draw the features on and cut them out. Use strips of cardboard, hot-glued to the edges of the holes and extending to the inside to give some depth. Cover these with more strips of mache. Lastly, I used creative paperclay to add texture and even out some rough patches as well as to give some weight to the bottom of the pumpkin so he wouldn't be so top-heavy. Don't forget to pull out the 'guts' at this point if you have left them in. The painting was a coat of black on everything, followed by a dry brushing of white followed by a dry brushing of orange. The stem was also dry brushed, but with green instead of orange. the inside is painted yellow. Four coats of sealer should help him stay dry inside, but if you want to put your creation outside, Scott recommends Spar Urethane. For more info, checl out Scott's link above or google Stolloween.

Inspiration

2010-10-07T08:07:00.003+01:00

I adore vintage Halloween images, so imagine my joy when Elizabeth at Creative Breathing/Bluebird Studios made the sweetest little Halloween book full of Old Halloween magazine covers. Her inspiration came from Paula's Halloween waterfall book.

I had a children's board book that had been shaped and gessoed, just waiting for a creative moment to overtake my brain.

Pardon the blurriness of the photos, I have very shaky hands this am.

I borrowed some of the images Elizabeth posted (thanks Elizabeth!) and added a few images from The Graphics Fairy.

I used up a bumper crop of seasonal paper and stickers sent to my by a friend last year.

No message in the book, but just an album full of sweet images from a bygone era to remind me of days past.

Thanks to my blog friends for their inspiration and shared joy for a wonderful holiday season!

Not the Least Bit Artistic

2010-09-29T20:33:00.001+01:00

But darn cute. This is my grandson, little JJ. He looks like a perfect combination of his mommy and daddy.

Sorry, I just had to show him off...just a bit!

A Good Day for ATCs...

2010-09-26T13:33:00.003+01:00

A few sets made by yours truly to pass the time on a cold and blustery day.

Thamks for stopping by. Enjoy your day, whatever you do!

Something a Bit Crafty....

2010-09-19T16:18:00.002+01:00

This is a work in progress. Papier mache pumpkin inspired buy the work of Scott Stoll at Stolloween.

If you haven't been over to Stolloween, you need to pop over there. Prepare to be amazed at the ingenuity and creativeness of this guy. He just blows my mind.
This guy, this pumpkin is made using the original pumpkin instructions. He needs to dry a bit longer and then onto my favourite part...the painting!

I had originally planned to give this one away, but have fallen in love with him...so he is staying here. Bad creator! I will make some smaller ones for the charity shop where I work (which is where this guy was supposed to go).

I will post more pics of the progress. Stay tuned!

In The Name of Art

2010-09-16T09:36:00.003+01:00

Justin is studying photography at school and has camera in hand. Here are a few photos he took over the weekend. These mushrooms were found in our garden. Hubby has eaten them and hasn't keeled over yet, so they must be ok.

Zinnias and marigolds with a lovely butterfly visitor.

Tammy the horse.

Giant zinnias.

Thanks for stopping by. Leave a comment for Justin. He will be thrilled!

Blogger Burps

2010-09-10T09:03:00.002+01:00

It seems Blogger has recovered from whatever issue it was having yesterday. Anyone who tried to leave a comment to enter my giveaway and couldn't...do try again. If it is still not working, feel free to shoot me an email at scwk0511@yahoo.com.

Blog Giveaway!

2010-09-09T14:31:00.002+01:00

Want a chance to win some vintage goodies? Interested in a bit of ephemera from the 1950's and 1960s? What about these chcolate box tops?

And these black and white nature photos, old tea cards and sports cards?

If so, then pop on over to my other blog and leave a comment/follow to have a chance or two to win this package of fun!

Times, They Are a Changin'

2010-09-06T13:50:00.003+01:00

And so is this blog. I want to focus more on art. I need to focus on art. I like to collect stuff. I love vintage clothes. I love to show the goodies I find on my adventures, but I want to use this blog, my first, to focus on art. Why the change? Well, let's just say I'm growing and changing and trying to get back to my happy art place. I am still going to post about family, fun and travels, it will just be over at my other blog.

If you want to keep up with that part of my life-and I hop you will-pop on over there and follow me. I will be having a little giveaway over there this week for followers, so why wait?

As for this blog...keep your eyes peeled for a bit of fun, a bit of craftiness and maybe some junk-tastic makeovers.

You Asked for It, You Got It. Hand-dyed Fabric Flowers Tutorial

2010-08-28T20:28:00.009+01:00

Remember these guys from the last post? Here is my first ever tutorial. Before we get started, let's discuss my 'methods'. I live in a pretty free-flowing world. I hate measurements. I like to use the trial and error method, so that is how these flowers were developed. Bear with me. Take these ideas and make them your own and remember to enjoy the process!

Firstly, you need to gather a few items. The fabric here is an old wedding dress and is a heavy crepe-backed poly satin. It didn't ravel alot while I was working with it, thank goodness. I hate ravely fabric, but use what you have around. Just remember if you are going to use the burnt edge method, your fabric will need to be a synthetic.

Other items needed: needle and thread, fabric scissors, felt scraps, hair clips or pin backs, Ranger Adirondak Inks in colours of your choice (can be purchased online or at your local craft shop), isopropyl alcohol (to get the ink off your hands if needed), beads, glue gun, candle, disposable containers for dying, and lots of newspaper.

Cut strips of fabric. As you can see, I didn't really measure, but the long ones are about 18 inches long. I like the randomness of them. It makes each flower a bit different. If you want to make alot the same, then cut your fabric strips all the same size.

Put down lots of newspaper. This ink will stain! You may also wish to wear latex or rubber gloves. I didn't coz I like to live a bit dangerously. The first time I made these, I looked like I have been clening up a crime scene. The ink wore off after about three days.

Fill your containers with warm water. Squirt your first colour into the water. These inks are alcohol based and they sort of react with the inks.

Dip your fabric in and let it soak for a few minutes.

While it is soaking, pull little bits of it of the water and add some drops of ink over the exposed areas. You can use the same colour or mix it up a bit and use a different colour. Experiment a bit and see what takes your fancy.

This one has had three different colours added. If you like them to be a bit more blended, just push the fabric back in the water for a few minutes.

See how this fabric has a tie-dye effect? That is from the inks floating on top of the water. I try and use this effect whenever I see it happening by dipping the fabric directly onto the top of the swirls. It makes my heart sing a little bit.

Let your fabric dry on the line until dry. DO NOT put this in your dryer. BAD ~IDEA.

Now, if you want to use a singed edge effect, then light your candle. Before we go all fire-starter, let me just say that if the kids are involved in this project, they will need adult supervision for this part. Keep a bowl of water handy just in case something goes up in flames. Also, please do this in a well-ventilated room.

Carefully hold your fabric over the flame, NOT IN THE FLAME, moving it along as it begins to curl and and melt. Use a long tweezers if you are making your flowers with smaller pieces. Do both sides of the fabric strip. Let cool.

Remember, you are melting the edges, not burning the fabric. It will go quickly, so please be careful.

See how cool the edge looks? Fold your fabric strip in half, long edges together and pin. Cut the ends at an angle as shown. Using a doubled length of thread, run a gathering stitch the length of the ribbon.

Make crazy faces at your husband. There, I feel better now. I've been making bloody flowers for days now.

In the end, you should have something that looks like this. The length of the strip will determine the size of the flower. Longer length=fuller flower.

Tie the thread off at the end, but don't clip the thread.

Adjust gathers evenly.

Now, start rolling, with the unclipped thread at the center.

Take securing stitches as you wind the flower.

Just do enough to tack it together. You will stitch it more firmly when we are done.

Turn it over and make any adjustments needed.

Now, you will stich all the layers together. We are going to cover this part over, so no need to fret over the tidiness here.

Cut yourself a couple of leaf shapes if you want and singe the edges. You will need a circle of felt roughly the size of the stitched part of the flower and a small strip just long enough to fit snugly over this circle, This is what your hairclip will slide into. If you are making a brooch, omit the small strip of felt.

Get out you hot glue gun. Glue the leaves on first, top with the felt circle and then the strip of felt. If you are making a brooch, just hot glue the pin back to the felt. Let cool.

Give the flowers a once-over. Do they need a bead in the middle? If so, hot glue one or two in there. They can cover up lots of sins if your centers are a bit tatty. Now, slide your clip into the little strip of felt and you are done! Easy, peasy, lemon-squeezy!

If you want to make one of the layered circle flowers, just cut circular pieces of dyed fabric, singe the edges, and stack according to size. Stitch together with a few beads as a center. The back gets the same treatment with leaves and hair clip.

I cannot stress enough that these flowers are not water proof! DO NOT get them wet or the colour will run.

Now, if you look at the top picture, you will see that the flowers are all a bit different. For some, I have added bits of lace and rolled them a bit differently. These basic ideas really give you alot of freedom to to play around and develop your own methods.

I have to give credit where credit is due. Pop on over to this blog and this one to see the original ideas. Also, prowl the internet to find more ideas. There are tons of them out there!

Thanks for stopping by and being so patient with me. I hope you use these intructions and have some fun. If you do, post a link so I can see your work!

Trash to Treasure

2010-08-25T08:56:00.002+01:00

I recently acquired a very stained ivory satin wedding dress. Beyond repair, it still has some life in it for some other projects....

In a moment of inspiration, I got out my alcohol inks and began dying the fabric strips that I had cut from the skirt (the ink has finally worn off my hands now, thank goodness).

I then used inspiration from here and from here to whip up these beauties.

Destined to become hair flowers and brooches, they will end up back in the charity shop from whence the doomed wedding dress came, all proceeds going to a good cause.

As always, thanks for stopping by and sharing my little corner of the world for a moment or two. May your day be a good one!

Mr G's Nemesis, or How I Found my Limit

2010-08-23T13:11:00.005+01:00

Last Tuesday, we went hurtling thru the countryside, halfway across the country, to take the boy and his buddy to the Big Amusement Park. Alton Towers. Home of all things fun and scary.

While I have been hearing of this park for eons, I had no idea that the term 'towers' meant that there is actually an authentic very old manor house on the grounds. Who knew? The house was breathtaking even tho it is just a shell these days; I thought that fact gave it an ancient, creepy air that I just love.
You can't go to the Big Amusement Park without riding a few rides. The boys went their way, so Mr G and I decided to have a bit of fun and ride a few things. Now, I need to begin by saying that I am terrified of heights and have an inner-ear thing that makes going backwards, upside down or in circles a fun-ending event. I get dizzy and have to take a nap and am a real horse's ass the rest of the day.

I did agree to ride on big coaster with the hubs, so Rita it was. This thing sort of slingshots you at some ridiculous speed and was my one big coaster of the day, but I did it and have the bruises to prove it.

Mr G was pumped and wanted to ride this: Air. You hang underneath like you are flying. I passed....he said it was brilliant, as did the boys.

We did a bit of this, too. Gorgeous gardens. Lovely lakes. Lots of geese and swans.

Mr G also wanted to ride this: Nemesis. Into line he went, solo. An hour later, I was still waiting for him to emerge. The train had broken down, but had restarted. I heard a lady next to me on her phone saying that there were folks stuck on the train. Crap. Of course, it would be him (and 40 of his newest, bestest friends). The damn park employees left these guys stuck on the train, just 10 feet from the unloading dock, for over 20 minutes without telling them anything. AND, when they were in the building waiting to load, they told them nothing. Mr G was not happy at all. He did ride Nemesis later and loved it. No thanks.

He also rode this, Oblivion. This view is from the top of this crazy thing, right before you plunge into this hols in the ground. No way, Jose. I waited on the ground and could see Mr G as he took the plunge...feet kicking the whole way. He said it was very scary, and he never says anything is scary.

We did more of this. Sublime.

And what was my limit? Apparently it is the Runaway Mine Train, a ride for kids. The corkscrew and the third trip round almost caused me to lose my lunch. I am such a whimp.

The Owl and the Pussycat Went to Sea...

2010-08-16T18:46:00.002+01:00

...in a haunted pea-green boat. This one took me a while as the ideas simmered and stewed away in my head. And, as usual, it developed and morphed as we went along. The boat is self-constructed using traditional papier mache as is the umbrella. The Owl (X) and the Pussycat (Henrietta) are made with paperclay. They will be flying off soon to their new home in the states and I shall miss them...

And So It Goes....

2010-08-10T15:50:00.002+01:00

The boy grows up. He turns into a young man with dreams and the promise of an exciting future. I promised him I wouldn't get all squidgy, but I can't help it. This birthday, more than any other, has hit me hard. We are on the threshold of something big. He is taking off, growing up. Maturing into a thoughtful caring young man who I know will continue to challenge me, make me laugh, bring a tear to my eye, and make me proud.

How did 14 years go by so fast?

Did Ya Ever?

2010-08-09T16:19:00.003+01:00

Did you ever catch a glimpse of yourself in a window or mirror and wonder 'Who the heck is that old, fat woman?' Did someone ever snap a photo of you that made you cringe? Today was that day for me. I wanted to show you guys my new vintage goodies, and the photos almost made me shriek. I know that I am short and plump, but who in the hell replaced my legs with tree trunks? I have been cursed with 'stump-leg' and I am not at all happy about it! lol

Listening to my groaning about my fat legs is not what you guys are here for, but you are welcome to join in if you like.

The above photo is a new-to-me raincoat. I love it as it is made for 'the shorter woman' according to the lable which means it fits in the shoulders, sleeves and length. Huzzah! The handbag was a purchase from a jumble sale which netted me another great old handbag that you guys will be seeing very soon.

This is the Charlie's Angles dress. There is story here that I love: The dress was given to me by a friend that I volunteer with. It was too tatty to go out for sale, so it was gifted and I made a small donation on its behalf. I loved it coz it is vintage and I knew it had a print on it, but didn't get what the print was till Mr G told me it was Charlie's Angels...and sho 'nuff it is! That dates this to the late 1970's/early 1980's.

I love the shape of this little jumper dress and the fact that is is just the right length and size is a bonus. I have had loads of fun with it and I can see this one keeping me company right into the next season with the help of some warm tights and a cute vintage cardigan!

Thanks for stopping by and I hop to be posting a bit more art very soon!

When I Was Born I Started to Decay.....

2010-08-02T11:53:00.003+01:00

...now nothing ever seems to go my way. Not really, but that song (by Placebo) has been running thru my head since I got the inspiration for this piece. Hubby buys alot of DVR/Sky boxes, takes them apart, and sells the hard drives, which leaves the boxes to go in the recycle bin.

To say he doesn't understand this would be an understatement. I tried to explain it to him by saying 'it's about the industrialization and decay of the urban world in which we live.' His eyes glazed over and he began to snore.

I just used what I had lying around...my fave way to craft! I used a technique to try and age the silver plastic that involves lots of layers of paint, a bit of sand and some white craft glue for crackle.

Now...what to do with it?

Hail, Hail, The Gang's All Here!

2010-08-01T15:51:00.004+01:00

Just a few new fellas to add in the fun and merriment here at Wayside Cottage! Aren't these the kookiest...I mean the craziest...I mean the way-outest group of critters you have ever seen?

I especially like the super-furry guy there!

And a couple of cuties, just for fun!

Scenes From a Pumpkin Patch

2010-07-31T11:51:00.002+01:00

10 Things I Learned from Daddy

2010-07-29T14:15:00.004+01:00

Here we are, Daddy and me at maybe Galveston or Padre Island, about 1971. What a pair!

If ever there was a colourful character, Daddy was it. A life that few of us could even imagine had taught him alot about people, politics and the ways of the universe. Never preachy, never talking down to me (or anyone else), he led by example. He never had to tell me...I just watched him and listened...and learned. Not perfect, by any means, but willing to admit his failings.

I know I have talked alot about Ray Jones on this blog, and I have touched on what a cool person he was. I have mentioned the fact that he was sometimes the only person who I felt really understood me. But I have never really talked about what he taught me, so here we go:

1. Never snitch, even when things are looking bad for you. Take your lumps and go on about your business.

2. Listen to your inner voice, it is usually right about things. If someone seems creepy, they probably are.

3. Do not judge folks by the mistakes they have made in the past. We all make them, so worse than others, and we all deserve a second chance.

4. Never sit with your back to the door. Took me years to get over that one! lol

5. Know where your loyalties lie. Stick to your principles and you can't go wrong.

6. NEVER judge a book by it's cover. You will lose out on some great experiences if you do!

7. People come in all sizes and shapes. Appreciate them for their difference.

8. There is no shame in being poor.

9. The 'wrong side of the track's to you may be someones precious childhood home.

10. It is never too late to say you are sorry.

10 Things I Learned from My Mom

2010-07-28T16:49:00.004+01:00

Just thinking of my mom today and how wise she was. Perhaps these thoughts are brought on my watching my son grow up. You know, teenagers know more than their parents, but when they become grown up themselves, they figure out mom and dad knew a heck of alot of stuff about life and junk like that. The lightbulb switches on, the cycle begins anew.

Mom taught me alot over the years. Here are the top ten:

1. Life is short. Learn to laugh--it will get you thru the rough spots.

2. Don't sweat the small stuff. Most of life's worries are indeed small.

3. As hard as you have it, someone else has it harder. Keep that in mind when your days are dark.

4. Love the people in your life while you can. There is no guarantee of a tomorrow.

5. Everyone deserves a second chance.

6. Trust and respect are earned, not handed out willy-nilly.

7. You must love yourself before anyone else can.

8. Don't be so damn hard on yourself. You are only human, you know.

9. We may not always know why certain people are brought into our lives, but be quiet and listen, and soon the reason will become obvious.

10. Take time for yourself. You deserve it!

That's it. Wrap all that up in a sassy pair of hot-pants and a bouffant hair-do, and you have my mom. Well, a 1970's version anyways.

Top Ten Jukebox Songs of My Childhood

2010-07-28T09:56:00.002+01:00

Ok, that's it folks...a few songs that will live on forever in my mind and are the soundtrack of my childhood. Growing up in diners and coffee shops...lots of quarters for the jukebox to keep a kid busy...

Roller Coasters and TV Lamps

2010-07-19T11:17:00.004+01:00

Chapter 2....

This toy was something I just could not pass up. No one else wanted it anyways and it probably would have ended up in the tip if I hadn't rescued it. Don't you just love the graphics?

Can't you just visualize some child having the time of their life playing with this little gem? I think it was a Christmas present as in the box were also some old Christmas stickers. It doesn't work anymore, but I am just not sure what to do with it. I may keep the box lid (for a future project), the little cars, and pitch the rest of it.

I also got this cool shelf. Hubby made fun of it, but has decided that he likes it and it will be hanging over my mantle very soon. I love the art deco feel of it. Perhaps it is handmade, but I am not sure.

Check out this vintage bassinet. Ignore my laundry basket and other assorted junk, please. This bed may end up as storage for my fabric. We shall see. It could also hold blankets in the living room at the end of the sofa.

And last, but certainly not least, is this cool TV lamp. Needs a new sail and a new cord, but I think it will be sweet once repaired. I loved it as soon as I saw it in a box of junk. Old wood just has a texture and colour that cannot be replicated today. The crap sold today by Ikea, etc just cannot match the solidness of pieces like those that I have been buying (I also bought a small mahogany table).

I love old things. I love the life that they have lived and the history that they hold. I want to surround myself with them so that they can tell me their stories.

Have a wonderful day everyone. Thanks for stopping by!

Big Things Come in Crazy Packages

2010-07-18T09:31:00.003+01:00

Every Wednesday, in Boston, there is an auction on the Market Green. most of the time, it is just rusty old crap out of someones garden shed, but sometimes, just sometimes, there is a treasure or two to be found. Last year, it was a 1960's copy of Diamonds are Forever by Ian Fleming. We paid like 10p for it and then sold it on Ebay for £14.99. That same auction, at the bottom of a box I paid £1 for, was an 1898 Doulton Lambeth Silicon vase which I sold on Ebay as well for a nice little sum of £4.95. Not a HUGE amount of money, but the sale of those two items more than paid for our day out.

This past Wed was a good day. A huge house clearance had taken place and what was on the green was just what could to be sold at the REAL auction which will take place this coming Friday (guess where I will be on Friday night?)

We bought a huge amount of stuff. Enough to fill up the back seat, the boot, and I had stuff in my lap. I bought this Christmas tree stand for £1. I love the little stickers on it and thought it had alot of life left in it as a storage box for fabric or something.
Got it home and when I took it out of the car, I noticed that it rattled. Took the lid off and look inside. Toys! Lots and lots of toys! Vintage goodies that had been tucked away in grandpa's loft.

Here are a few of the better items. All from the late 1950's (according to the calendars and Christmas cards inside).

To be honest, I am not sure what to do with all this stuff! I feel very sentimental towards Ellen Carruthers, the previous owner. I wonder where she is and if she would remember any of this stuff.

Also inside were tons of tea cards, Cadbury cards, Sports cads and those little comics that came in bubble gum (like Joe Bazooka).

Gumball toys, a Zorro ring, baby bottles, old food colouring bottles and other bits for playing shop. Who could resist?

I think I might just put it all back in the box and put it in our loft. I might sell it off in lots. Who knows, but I might just look Ellen up in the phone book and see if she wants it all back!

Summer Means DIY!

2010-07-11T11:28:00.003+01:00

A few magazine covers...just for fun! I have about 750 projects in the works today, one of which may get delayed until tomorrow because of the darn wind.

Mr G has been busy as well, extending the garden hose to the back garden. I fear we are in for a hosepipe ban very soon, so I plan on water =ing as much as I can until then!

Did I mention that he tried to cut his finger off in the process? A few bandaids, a few minutes of pressure and he is on the mend.

My poor girl called to ask me if I knew what to do about colic. JJ has been screaming for hours, they took him to the ER where they were sent home as he has colic. I told her to give him some gripewater or simethicone, put him in the car and drive around till he goes to sleep. What else is there to do really?

We are up to 26c here this morning. Yesterday was a real scorcher and I am afraid today may be the same.

I have undertaken the mother of all paperclay projects for a swap. I have to make it extra special for my partner as his work is superb!

I am learning to do a 'full-bust alteration' today on a pattern. Wish me luck.

If all turns out well, I will post a few pics. If not, I will go sulk in a corner.

Isn't my life exciting?

As always, thanks for stopping by. Be on the lookout for an ephemera giveaway very soon...you will surely want all the cool goodies I unearthed in my recent studio re-jig!

Bullying, Act II

2010-07-08T13:52:00.003+01:00

You wanna know what I hate? I hate the phone call that starts out as: 'Mrs Griffin? This is so-and-so from Justin's school. There's been an incident. Now, Justin is fine, but it is very, very bad Mrs Griffin'.

Folks, it has happened again and I am at a loss. A complete loss. Those of you who are on FB know what happened and are probably as disgusted as I am about the events of Monday. I am still in shock really. A certain numbness has come over me. I am angry as hell, but if I let go now, bad things are liable to happen. Seriously. The poop is, Justin was bullied very badly on Monday. Some boys that Justin knows (at school)urinated in a chocolate milk drink, told him it had Red Bull in it, and gave it to him to drink. It turns my stomach just thinking about it. He had one drink and knew something was wrong. He went immediately to the head of year and reported it. The boys were suspended for five days. I phoned the police as, in my delusional state, I was under the silly impression that pissing in someones drink with the intention of it being consumed is assault of some description. Well, not so my friends. Not here. The police person who took my report basically blamed my son for being gullible and said that he had learned a lesson. He also called it a harmless prank. When I asked him if he would like someone to wee in his cup of tea, if that was considered a harmless prank, he said that would never happen to him.

He did take the report and about 45 minutes later, two very lovely community support officers showed up at the door and showed all the compassion, understanding and outrage that one would expect in these circumstances. They were also not amused by the flippant attitude given by the person on the phone. They promised me they would find out who took the report as they have had several complaints recently about the same person.

So, they took all the details, they know I am not some whacko, and they were off to the school the next day to talk to the head of year and then off to talk to the parents of these nasty little boys.

Justin seems ok, but I just know that he is crushed, yet again to know that people can be so nasty. I, however, may take awhile to work up to 'crushed'. I am still too damn angry.

Summertime in England

2010-07-07T13:28:00.002+01:00

English Summer 2010 on PhotoPeach
Who says that England does not have beautiful summers? Sure, we may not have endless days of sunshine but what we lack in quantity we make up for in quality. I wouldn't trade ONE temperate summer Sunday for all the scorching hot, fire-breathing, egg-cooked-on-the-sidewalk sorts of days that I grew up with. Give me days where I can bear to be outside, where the hum of cicadas does not drown out every other noise around and where air conditioning is not a necessity, but a luxury.

It Finally Happened.....

2010-07-03T11:51:00.002+01:00

My baby boy, my best buddy, has reached THAT special time in every boy's life...his relationship status on Facebook is now 'in a relationship' and I am heartbroken. I knew it would happen, I just knew it would...but I wasn't truly ready. I mean, look at this fat little dumplin'! Would YOU want him to grow up and turn into a stinky old boy and then an even stinkier man?

Now, he is on the verge of 14, has grown a mustache and has a girlfriend. I don't want to even think about what happens next!

Vintage Cigar Box? Oh, Yeah...

2010-06-27T19:27:00.002+01:00

The car boot sale was a bounty of 20p and 50p items this weekend...just the way I like it! In addition to glorious sunshine and a nice breeze...bargains galore! The last time I tried to buy one of these King Edward cigar boxes a the sale, it was £4 for a tatty thing that needed alot of love. This one, along with the little tin full of sewing stuff was £1.

These are the old paper banners I spoke of recently. They must be from the 1950's, if not older and are all in great shape as you can see below. I was almost afraid to ask how much they were, but glad I dad as it was 50p for all of them!

The colours are great, mellowed with time.

These boots were 20p. Hubby has laughed at me, but I love them. They are leather and are 'Pied La Terre' brand...very costly when new. I think they need a clean but will look smashing this winter with some tights and a long skirt.

All of these little games were 10p each. I am going to use that triangle thingy like an easel. The crossbar on it has a groove that will work well to hold an ATC or something along those lines.

There were lots more purchases, but they are hubby's and are all computer stuff (yawn)....

Dear So and So....

2010-06-25T10:33:00.003+01:00

Dear Drama Llamas,

Please, please stop whinging. I know your life is difficult. I know you are not feeling well, but your ongoing wailing is making us a bit crazy. Life is what you make of it and there are loads of folks out there who have things much worse and yet they find better things to do with their time than to moan to everyone who will listen. The negative energy you send out into the world only comes back to you. That being said, we love you lots and want you to be happy...whatever it takes!

Pixie, concerned

Dear Sparrows,

Please stay out of my greenhouse. Just because the skylight is open, does not mean you have an open invitation so have a snoop. If you do feel the need to snoop, please leave without knocking everything all over the place. Oh, and bird netting is meant to keep you OUT of the lettuce, not trapped underneath. Can't you just stick to nicking the chicken feed?

Pixie, garden-sharer

Dear Ginger TabbyCat,

You are lovely, but your howling is unnerving my kitties. Please stop it.

Pixie, Kitty Mom

Dear Sister Toni,

I was saddened to the core to hear of your husband's death. Bill was never anything but kind to me. I know your love for each other was immense and that your heart is broken. Mine is broken for you and I hope that you find some peace somewhere. Please do not be offended by the card I am sending you...it is sent out of love and not meant to cause you anymore distress.

Pixie, from afar

Dear Lincolnshire Sun,

Thanks you, thank you, thank you for shining this week! Your appearance has lifted my spirits. I hope you will hang around for a while..but we also need to see some of your cousins, the rain clouds...but only at night, ok?

Pixie, ever grateful

Got something to get off your chest? Pop on over to Kat's place and link up!

Vintage Jewellery and More...

2010-06-25T10:14:00.003+01:00

I haven't had much to contribute lately. I haven't been junking in over a week, but I do have a few goodies I have held back. Here they are: This isn't vintage, but isn't it great? Red croc-print handbag for 50p at a jumble sale. Sweet!

Now THIS is vintage! 1960's beach hat, perfect for the sunny car boot Saturdays. Hubby likes me to wear a hat at the car boot sale so he can find me in a crowd!

Some recent accessory finds. I love the little bumble bee pin made of polymer clay ALMOST as much as I love the little moth (or is it a dragonfly) bakelite brooch that a lady sold me for 30p. She said it was amongst the last of her mum's collections. I also bought some paper garlands from her but I will have to show those another day. The gold buttons are really heavy cast metal and may well end up on a coat or some such.

We are going to the sale tomorrow and then off to pick strawberries (seeing as the birds got all of ours this year!), so I should have some more goodies to show off next week in addition to pics of my most recent sewing adventures..so stay tuned!.

How I Spent my Sunday

2010-06-14T08:16:00.004+01:00

Sunday was our two year anniversary of our big move to old Blighty...and how did we spend it? Well, Justin and I ponied up and spent our day helping out his Sea Scout troop and the MacMillan Trust by handing out drinks at the 19.75 mile mark at the Sea Bank Marathon. The weather was good. Not too hot, not too cold and no rain! Last year, the race was called off due to the gales that blew through. Not this year though, thank goodness. I hate being wet almost as much as I hate being cold!

Our job was to just hand out orange juice and water to runners/walkers. Knowing me, I also chatted to almost everyone who passed by. I love to talk to folks and find people's stories inspiring and encouraging. Each person was there for a different reason and I was just so impressed with their determination to finish a very tough marathon. The route is not paved and is often carved out of farmland, so the unevenness can be quite rough on the ankles and knees. In places as well, participants can be running/walking through weeds that are knee high and can be full of nettles.

Here comes the first runner through our post. There were three that came quite close together at the beginning, and they were very serious about this business. No chit-chat from them!

As they approached the corner, their numbers were recorded by the marshalls. All very organized. We had 306 participants and of that, 275 or so finished. I was sad for those who dropped out due to injury, but our spot was the place for blisters and cramps. Thank goodness for St John's Ambulance service for all their good work!

As things moved on, families began showing up to cheer on their friends and loved ones, offering food and drinks.

Lots of encouragement, rounds of applause and a general good vibe going on.

Even the pups came out to cheer folks on!

These two chaps were a hoot. We had a good chat, they were absolutely knackered and the guy on the right kept saying he was worn out. It was his first ever marathon! I let him know how completely impressed I was. We talked a bit about sponsorship and what good work the money collected does for the local community. Just one of many stories that day. All for a good cause, each one a winner.

This is Sadie. She runs marathons with her owner. She stopped for a few cups of water and a rest under our table. Sadie recently trained for the London Marathon, but had to miss out due to an injury. Bless her, she was my favourite runner of the day!

Meet Connor. He was runner number 100 through our checkpoint. What a proud moment for us all (my mom genes are kicking in here).

This is poochie #2. Alfie was with a group of walkers that came in towards the end of the day. According to Justin, he had a 'long and slurpy tongue'.

What I do not have a picture of is my favourite walker of the day. About 4pm, an single older gal came through our checkpoint. (At this point there were only about 10 people still on the course). She was worn out. Pooped. Shattered. She sat with us long enough to have a bite to eat and something to drink and bit of a rest. She got up, pronounced that she could make it the almost 6 miles to go, and set off. Her resilience and determination really inspired me.

Something else that inspired me? The kids. Little one with their parents, big ones with groups of friends. School groups, individuals. Kids from all over doing good work. Giving back to their communities and spending a day not thinking of themselves, but of others and of the bigger picture. What a well-behaved beautiful lot of youngsters they were and this is the reason I refuse to give up on kiddos today, regardless of the negative press they get.

I also loved the little girl, in the next to the last group to come through, who was still skipping along after almost 20 miles...now THAT is inspiring!

Ok, I am done rambling now. Will we participate next year? I would love to, but have very bad feet...so I may consult with the doctor very soon and then start a bit of training...what do you think?

100 Things That Make Me Happy

2010-06-11T22:09:00.004+01:00

Anna posted earlier 100 things that make her smile and I was inspired. We need a bit more smilin' in a world full of missing kids and massive oil leaks. Here are my 100 things:

1. the smell of freshly mown grass
2. vintage fabric
3. finding little treasures of broken china in the garden
4. my drafty old house...every single brick of it
5. cottage gardens
6. zinnias
7. sunflowers
8. sweetpeas
9. the smell of molasses
10. the confidence and wisdom that has come with age
11. snails
12. my 5 hens
13. the smell of the earth
14. getting a package from home and it smells like home
15. trivia
16. Dallas history
17. English history
18. birds of all kinds
19. pumpkins
20, Halloween
21. Valentine's Day
22. Thanksgiving
23. mashed potatoes and gravy
24. Rice Krispies
25. anything tartan
26. oldies music
27. Sammy Davis Jr
28. old postcards
29. ribbon
30. sewing notions
31. antique cars
32. a great fit of giggles over really silly stuff
33. facebook
34. roast chicken
35. sourdough bread
36. Katie
37. Justin
38. JJ
39. Mr G
40. Mr G's legs
41. altering books
42. vintage clothing
43. family history
44. the sea
45. old villages
46. glass beads
47. gnomes
48. mushrooms/toadstools
49. my old reliable fossil watch
50. hot baths
51. soft hair
52. no greys
53. the smell of roses
54. the smell of gardenias
55. car boot sales
56. junk
57. turquoise jewelry
58. the colors pink, aqua, green and teal
59. dusk
60. birds singing at dawn
61. collecting still warm eggs
62. things that are round
63. pinecones
64. my sewing machine
65. velvet
66. gingham
67. daisies
68. good friends
69. my sister, Terry
70. memories of mom and daddy
71. painted toenails
72. my laptop
73. warm days
74. coming home to warm house when it is cold outside
75. snowy days when I don't have to be out in it
76. a cold Pepsi on a hot day
77. not feeling like a foreigner
78. Diana Gabaldon books
79. James Herriot books
80. Jane Eyre, PBS version with Ruth Brown
81. Lark Rise to Candleford
82. Period dramas
83. newly shaven legs
84. kitties...especially my four
85. unexpected kitty visitors in the garden
86. watching the old cat playing with the young one
87. bats circling my head in the garden
88. living in the country
89. my veggie garden
90. fresh homegrown tomatoes
91. ice cream
92. chocolate pie
93. music by the BCR
94. volunteering for the local hospice
95. the feeling of belonging
96. driving on the wrong side of the road
97. my son's silly sense of humour
98. adapting and adjusting
99. reaching out to old and new friends
100. blog comments!

So, there it is folks. 100. Now, I hope you take the inititive to do the same on your blog...it was fun!

A Giveaway!!!!

2010-06-11T18:21:00.002+01:00

My friend Pam is having a giveaway of this really cool clay and fabric Halloween sweetie. Easy rules, just leave a comment. No jumping thru hoops, no silliness. Pop on over to her blog here and get yourself signed up for her giveaway and have a look around. You will be charmed by her creations, I am sure.

We Bought Less This Week

2010-06-10T11:29:00.002+01:00

We bought less vegetables this week. Tesco made a few less bob from us and for that I am grateful. Our garden is beginning to produce. The early potatoes are ready. The lettuce is just begging to be tossed in a salad. The onions are just beginning to poke their heads out of the soil. Courgettes have blooms and the butternuts can't be far behind. The tomatoes and peppers/chilis have blooms, too.

I have enough coriander to feed a small army. I keep cutting it and it keeps coming back.

What a joy it is to grow your own food. What pleasure we receive from working hard towards the goal of giving our family fresh healthy meals. And what a thrill when it all starts coming together! Winter was brutal this past season and we thought surely it might never warm up, so the rewards are even sweeter this spring!