Both are handmade, the granny square one was £4.99 and the grey knitted one was £3.49...both are lovely and warm for work (it's very draughty in my library!)
I also purchased a fawn of joy! He will live with the bunnies of joy! Someone had given their entire collection of Fauna vases to the charity shop and I decided mum would kill me if I bought it all so I just chose my favorite one, I left about 15 pieces there, I went back today for another look and all the rest of it was gone :(
We have a Lot of recycling bins at work, paper, plastic, card and tins, all looked after by the council, which is great. But no composting. The council here don't collect kitchen green waste and a lot of peelings and tea bags are going into the landfill bin at work. I asked a few of my colleagues if they would use a compost bin if I provided one and they said they would, so I checked with my manager, who after I reassured her it wouldn't be smelly and dirty and I would take it home to empty at least twice a week, said if I bought a little kitchen waste bin we could have it in the staff kitchen. After much googling I found a company called Garland who make compost caddies that ticked all the boxes on my checklist - made out of recycled plastic, has a handle for carrying home, has a lid that stays on. It arrived today! Tomorrow I shall have a grand unveiling at work and hope all my work buddies use it!
Craftcycle - Heidi Boyd
There are looooads of projects in this book I want to try. They all use eco-friendly or recycled materials...I particularly like the sock babies, coiled fabric baskets, owl clothes peg holder, woven crisp bag bag, cd clock and candle mugs. This book also has yummy recipes and eco-tips for each season too!
The Gift - James Patterson
This is the second in a series of YA books about Whit and Whisty Allgood, teen witches on the run from a brutal, bald dictator and his totalitarian regime, which bans books, music and magic. I know James Patterson is a popular author because I see his books coming in and out of work all the time, but I've never really been tempted by any of them 'till I saw this series. So far they've been really fact paced, the characters are great and I'm enjoying finding references to adult sci-fi/post apocalyptic books I've read (they go to the Brave New World centre for 're-education'...they even live in a shopping mall like in the TV series The Tribe!)
Warhorse - Michael Morpurgo
I feel a bit like it's a cliche reading this book at the moment, there's a waiting list at the library for it as long as my arm, but I wanted to read it before I watch the film. I was a little put off at the start, because the horse is the narrator, but then I realised that he had to be, becuase he's the only character that's in it all the way through. After I got over that (and the fact that the horse can under stand German as well as English - clever old horse!) I really enjoyed it, although I did cry 3 times!
I also came across this, it's in a book shop rather than a Library but it's pretty spectacular!
Last night at about 5 past midnight my mind started whirring about this old mirror that's been sitting in my drawer for at least 5 years. It was my Nan's, and I snaffled it when she died, it was covered with years worth of hairspray, and much as I enjoy the image of her looking at her perm and spraying it solid using the mirror, it wasn't very nice to look at. I washed it a bit overenthusiastically and water seeped into it, making the fabric go all brown and gross. Last night I decided I could probably find that mirror, take it apart and recover it. Cue scrabbling about in drawers at 1am (sorry mum. sorry neighbours!)
Sadly, I don't have a before picture of the mirror, I only thought to take photos after I'd dismantled it, but you can see in this one the pink with brown blotches fabric (top left). And my dressing gown sleeve.
To dismantle the mirror you need to unscrew the cap off the end (number one) then pull the handle off (number 2), then pull the cap at the top of the handle down (number 3) then remove the metal frame around the mirror (number 4).
You're then left will all sorts of bits from inside...my mirror was padded with this cardboard with a picture of some sort of hovercraft (I think!) on it, which I think is very cute!
Then you need to draw round one of your pieces with the new fabric you want to use...I used this vintage flowery stuff someone gave me...and cut it out. Next you have to sandwich all the layers back together again...mine went mirror, metal handle thingy, vintage hovercraft cardboard, new fabric, perspex cover and hold on to them really tight while you feed all of it into the metal frame. This is the trickiest part and took several goes, in the end I had to take out a layer of cardboard (there were 2 originally) but I still only spent about 10 minutes fiddling with it. Once you have the frame back on you can put the caps and handle back on and tighten it up again. Et voila! One newly re-covered vintage hand mirror!
I'm glad it's been redeemed from that sad and sorry place in my dressing table drawer and can be used again !
* Seeing Em * my contract at work being extended 'til May * selling a couple of brooches in Chris's shop * new wardrobe - finally! * reading Fred the mermaid books and Warhorse and the Peach Keeper * nice Polyglot meeting * baby sweetcorn in my stir fry * buying me and mum ukuleles and learning to play somewhere over the rainbow * watching the Bake Off on TV * Hello Kitty perfume * charity shop bargains! * enormous, as big as my head onion * putting up my flowery, Emily-made fairy lights * laughing * organising fabric swaps * blogging * finishing lots of crochet things * crochet owls * nice crochet lesson with Karen * taking photos with my new camera * crunchy frost * giggling at work *
This is the view from our bathroom window in our new house. What, you mean not everyone can see a National Trust property while they're in the shower?!
My best friend usually lives in Brazil with her lovely Brazilian husband, but her work sent her to London for a course this month, so I got to spend a couple of days with her and our gorgeous mummies, eating yummy food, nattering and having a bit of ukulele madness! Yey!
What do you love this month? Hope you've had a lovely one! xxx
I've been selling bits and bobs online for a while now, but my brother's girlfriend's mum has just opened a real, bricks and mortar shop in Welshpool, which is about 30 minutes from where I live, and asked me to make some things to sell in it! The shop will be behind the market hall in Welshpool, and the business is called Flaunt It...you should check it out if you are ever having a Welshpool adventure!
So I've spent the last week making this little lot...
Crochet head bands/ear warmers with flowers on...
Crochet flower brooches....
Crochet butterfly brooches...
Crochet flower hair grips...
All the wooly things are made from vintage or second hand yarn, bought from second hand shops or ebay. I buy extra long hair grips from boots, becuase they are the only ones I can find that don't come wrapped in plastic...they're just on a nice simple cardboard backing...thank goodness!
Vintage fabric cards...
And a vintage (Laura Ashley!) fabric bag...
I made business cards using Piknik and printed them out on to the backs of cereal packets...so they're more eco friendly!
Phew...am going to have a sit down and a glass of fizzy pop now! Have any of you ever sold things in a shop? How did it go? Any tips?
I found this lovely little sylvac bunny ashtray for £4 in the charity shop! I love these sylvac bunnies 'cos they have sweet little smiles and a knowing look in their eyes. (yes, I know I'm a mad bunny woman!)
I know his poor little ears are broken, but that's because he's been used as an ashtray poor thing, he's come to my house for a nice bath with bubbles and then to rest his cute little lungs!
