Tuesday 29 May 2007

Trying really hard.......

I am trying to be good and not sit for ages each day catching up with all you other lovely blogs but ack it's hard not to give in to temptation.
There are so many other things i should be doing such as packing, cleaning, gardening but i just have to have my daily fix, and sometimes even two or 3 visits a day....... bad, bad, bad.

I should also be attempting to build my online buisness as it is suddenly dawning on me that my shop will be all empty and finished in about 6 - 8 weeks.
I should be sitting and making lots of stock for my website, Etsy and other shops.

But sometimes (like today) i just need to sit and draw out new ideas, look through my stash of fabric...... imagine working from my studio in Scotland by the sea xx

Infact the only thing of any worth that i have done today is upload a small portion of new stock on to the website which is sitting waiting in piles to be photographed.

I tell ya - having a website is hard work!

This is one such item - a cute heart frame.
I cannot resist anything heart shaped and this beauty also comes in pink or blue.



For the green fingered folk......




Ohhh - how did this one slip in to todays post?????
This is another treat for my cake plate collection from Louise

The birds just had to be mine.
Yet MORE to pack was Stephen's response.




On the handmade front i have made some new cards which i hope are off to a shop in Brighton.



Yep - got a bit of a fancy for birds at the moment.




My new favourite item for the website has to be these rolls of ribbon - they are on my list of "must make something with those"


Hope you are enjoying the better weather today - here in Kent it is sunny and warmish - but they say it is all down hill for the rest of the week.....
I say it is just getting us climatised to our forthcoming surroundings.

T x

Friday 25 May 2007

Empty Nest and 7 random and frankly quite odd things about me.

I feel sad..... I had the awful job of packing up Trevor and sending him on his travels today.
I know it is slightly odd (refer to 7 odd things below and this will suddenly make sense!) but i had kinda fallen for that little guy with his slightly girlie shell.
I have enjoyed seeing him perched on my blue dresser with his wee smiley face, but now there is just an empty space.

He has of course gone off to Brighton - he will be staying the night tonight with my friend Katie - she who produces THE most wonderful ceramics (over at my website), and will be taken off on his adventure in the morning.
Now - i know Katie is a caring sweet girl who seemed pleased to meet Trevor but i cannot help but worry about the little guy....

Ah well i have to cut the apron strings at some point and as i have just placed yet another Amazon order i have to hope that some one will fall in love with that smile just like i have xx
That look of "just get me outta this crazy place" on his face does seem a bit mean though......

Here he is all ready to go.......
Bye Trev - hope you find a lovely new home so that mommy can feed her book addiction.
What's the betting that he will be back on my doorstep Monday morning !!!



Also off to Brighton are some cotton baby bibs that i am trying out. Now as many of you know i do not have any children so please tell me if i am wayyyyyyy off the mark with the bibs.
They are 100% cotton and machine washable, soft to wear and cute as cute can be on.
Any feedback from mummies out there welcome.

The first is an amazing Strawberry red .....


And the second is nothing like the picture!!!!
It is actually a soft green and not at all grey as this picture shows.



And to celebrate all thing red and green i just had to make a new tag for the bibs.
I am currently making one in a soft blue yarn which i already realise is a mistake as
there is no fruit or veg known to man that is chalky blue - unless you know otherwise????


The very nice folk over at Thirty Something Hobbies
tagged me a while ago (sorry for the delay guys x) so here goes....

7 odd and/or random things about me.

1. My best ever sandwich or roll filling is cress - plain good old cress.

2. I HATE talking to people on the telephone unless they are family or very close friends - i would much rather email or better still chat face to face.

3. As mentioned before i have a mushroom phobia, a cotton wool phobia and my latest phobia is door handles - just think of the germs for gods sake!

4. Sometimes my dress sense is a little.... what shall we say..... odd. At first i thought i was being stared at because i was so cutting edge!!!!
Hah - as it turns out (now my friends have informed me) most residents in the village regard me as the lady with the pretty shop but no dress sense!!

5. I just cannot kill anything - be it an ant, fly or wasp - i just cannot commit the act of murder. If i do by sheer accident wipe out some poor creatures life (please do not let me even start to remember the snail in the window frame) i weep and wail for far to long. Stephen regards this behaviour as
a. ridiculous
b. embarrassing ( i am not always in the comfort of my home)
c. something about me that has to change!

6. Relates to the above post - i cannot bear to see anybody else harming or killing a creature - i am just grateful that up till now i have not had my lights punched out as i stand ranting at some poor soul who has dared to decide a creatures life is done. The worst incident has been seeing a fisherman club a fish to death - the sound remains in my head to this day.... unfortunately the sound (and sight!) of me trying to drown said fisherman remains with Stephen......

7. If i could sit and sew or knit all day for the rest of my days i would be happy - i never ever want to go on a foreign holiday, i would be happy at home forever.

There you have it another list of complete madness and confusion..... i really do not know why people read this blog
but i am so glad you do xx

Back soon

T x

Wednesday 23 May 2007

The Tortoise and the Hare


I know, i know - Binks is not realllllllly a Hare but he would like to be...... who wouldn't want longer legs, be able to run faster, jump higher, have enormous ears!!!
O.k - maybe not the ears!!!

But he was pleased (and slightly puzzled) to meet Trevor the tortoise x


Hi there Trevor - you are cute.



The trouble with Trevor is that he knows he is cute - with a body made from the softest felt, a shell made from Linen with Vintage decoration and Vintage buttons for eyes, he should have a badge or an award or something!

He seems happy here at Artichoke cottage but is looking for adventure (and a home with slightly saner folk)

So i will be sending him off to Brighton for this weekends open house - he is of course hoping to be introduced to that foxy little fawn!

If you are Brighton way this weekend please pop in and give Trevor a pat on the head or a tickle under his chin xx


As you can tell i am coping with the move by sewing, sewing, sewing - i am having a GREAT time.

And just take a peek at my new (but old) portable Tea for Two xxx
I am deeply in love with it and with Stephen who brought it for me as a happy house selling gift.
The case is a beautiful olive green with tiny white spots, and inside - just look at the inside!!!
Two china cups and saucers with green spots, the original tin for cakes, and a glass pot for the sugar and the milk.
I am in the process of making some sweet napkins for it and we will no doubt give it a trial run this weekend - just imagine it on the back seat of my Ford Anglia!!!!

See..... not thinking about the move at all.

Back soon with more handmade goodies and news of lovely new stock that is about to be uploaded on to my website.

Enjoy the sunshine

T x

Friday 18 May 2007

A Cat in a Canoe and other stories............

This week has whizzed by - more packing and less crying - progress.

I have spent part of the week turning out our shop stockroom, yikes what a job!
Who would of thought that i had so much stock stashed away???
The thought of only having a six week sale with the piles and piles of goodies i have is ever so slightly daunting.
I think the charity shop will be happy at the end of all this - Stephen has given me very strict instructions that it is not moving with us.
The good side of all of this sorting is how it occupies the mind, but boy i ache this evening!


This is Bracken and Twigs Pigs getting ready for the move to the Coast - and yes i have told them both that this particular canoe will just not do on the North sea!!!

And here is my first completed felt fawn - she is pretty as a picture and will be on her way to the Brighton Open House next weekend (its good for a young fawn to travel)

I really enjoyed making her even though it took a long time and i am not completely happy with all the details. I have a soft grey and white fawn almost made so i will force her to pose for photos as soon as she has her flower corsage on xx

She looks kind of startled!!!!
Maybe i will try a different eye design on the next one.
Expect to be bored rigid over the next few weeks with a mix of animals all made with my own hands.
Perhaps a patchwork tortoise next.........

And last but not least is a picture of the almost completely healed Bean.
She is enjoying a freshly laundered eiderdown and her new favourite food ever.....
Asparagus!!!!!!!!

My girls have expensive tastes.

Better hope the fawn sells.
See you all soon

T x

Tuesday 15 May 2007

Keeping Busy

We are on our way - packing boxes everywhere - the constant sound of Stephen saying "what are you packing that for", me packing everything as everything is a memory......
Thank goodness we will be moving to a larger house!

My sweet shop is a mess - i hate SALE time, i cannot display items as i would like, there is a lack of beautiful new stock and i have to listen to my lovely customers telling me time and time again how they will miss Cupcakes so much.

I will miss it too.

To take my mind off all the madness i have sat and made lots - very little of it is finished as i seem to be flitting from one piece of work to the next - it matches my head - flitting around like a mad thing!

This cushion is made from a lovely stash of rose fabric that i am sadly running low on, a Vintage piece of lace and a wonderful cotton ticking fabric from Louise Loves


A new brooch using my most favourite template

I love any thing
bird related - i just wish that we could encourage birds in to our garden with foodie treats but with four cats it seems a little unfair.
The Bluebird is felt with a Vintage lace wing and a tiny button.

These girls are not finished - but will be soon as i have loved making them and need to make a herd!
And i have finally stretched my knitting mind - i have always enjoyed knitting but have never been able to sit down long enough to learn new stitches and techniques. I am now in love with all things knitted and this little project is coming along a treat - i will show you all more another day as this first attempt is a little wonky ( actually it is very wonky!)

I am hoping to see my Mum this weekend - it is a wonderful feeling that even at my age when i am feeling unsettled, unsure, on the edge of tears most of the day, the only person who can wrap there arms around me and make all the bad feelings go away is xx My Mummy xx
And i love her x

Hope you are all having a happy start to the week.

T x

Thursday 10 May 2007

Moving on

This house has been our home for so long.
It has kept us safe and dry and warm.
We have loved it and it has loved us right back.


We brought it when we were just 20 years old - fresh faced and so excited about having our first home, desperate to build a comfortable place to maybe one day have children, to invite friends and family to stay, but most of all a place to be together where we could shut the door on all the bad things that happen in our daily lives.

And that is what we have done - we have become all grown-up whilst living here, learnt that life can play nasty tricks on you but can also treat you kindly x

We will never have children in this house or any other due to complications with my insides,
but i do hope that the new owners of this wonderful, protecting, calm home will one day bring home babies of their own.

It is and always will be a house that wraps itself around its residents, shelters them from harm, and all it asks for in return is a little tender loving care.

I will miss you always my Sweet little cottage but it is time to move on and let you work your magic on someone else who needs you.


T x

Saturday 5 May 2007

Gone

First viewers Tuesday morning

Offered full asking price Friday morning

That's it - all done.

Thursday 3 May 2007

Treats

To keep spirits high you understand............

TREATS!!!!!!

Love this trug and soft toy making book from the wonderful Louise over at Louise Loves

Louise has a fantastic range of Vintage items but take note - you have to be quick!

Look at the great diagrams!!
Expect to see a few new critters on the blog!

Also on the treat list today -
My favourite tea and my favourite sweets.

And here is a treat for everyone.
If you get a chance to visit Brighton Open House Weekends
Then do!!

I looked through the lists this afternoon and there is so much to see - it will take more than one visit!
And the biggest bonus is the fact that some houses are serving tea and cakes in the garden - my idea of weekend heaven

Arts and Crafts
Tea and
Cakes
Yum

I have a small selection of work at 18 Pelham Square - not too far from the station.

And this is Talullas treat today - a neck nibble courtesy of Bean



True Whippet love xx

Sending sunny thoughts to you all

T x

Tuesday 1 May 2007

Made it through x

Binks the rabbit has made it through the worst........ hip hip hooray!!
He is now feeling very sorry for himself as he is stuck in this tiny hutch behind fly net, when he is used to having a large summer house and the full run of the garden.

Fear not Binks - your running and skipping days will be back soon xx




Bean is slowly driving us mad with her out bursts of completely mad behaviour!!
She can be curled up sound asleep and then in a blink of an eye she is tearing around the sitting room shrieking in a very high pitched voice.
Her nickname is the Ninja.....
She has so much energy just waiting to be let out - the picture below shows just what she thinks of the fact she is on lead walks only this week!!

Fear not Bean - your running and squirrel chasing days will be back soon xx

Today we had our first viewers for the house - i have decided to show people around myself as i really want to know who will be living here.
They were a nice young couple who want to move out of London and they seemed to like our cottage........
They are coming back on Saturday for a second look xx
It would be so odd to have an offer from the first viewing.

I felt o.k with the thought of this couple living here at Artichoke Cottage - when they were just about to leave the lady turned and said - don't worry we will love and look after your home x

We shall see......
On the craft front - the chair above is all i have managed this weekend. Just stripped of all nasty fabric and re - done in this sweet Vintage children's fabric.

See you all soon

Tx