Jessica, Eco Warrior and Giver of Gifts

Got a little side-tracked from work today, came over a bit Dave Angel and made a bag, something that I have been meaning to make ever since the Anya-Bloodly-Hindmarch, 'I'm not a plastic bag' fiasco, maybe I'm just a bit bitter cause I didn't get one (I turned up at 7pm and they'd given them all way, even though sainsburys said they weren't selling them till 8am!) but I didn't think it was worth getting up and there for 5am.

Anyway, so I made an 'Eco Grocery/Shopping Bag' from the bolt of cotton that I got from the car boot at the weekend for £2.50, it's about 14"wx16"dx5"d and I've sewn creases on the edges to help it keep it's shape, I'm quite pleased, now all I have to remember is to take it with me when I do the shopping! (does anyone else have this problem!!) Luckily It folds up quite neatly so I shall have to keep it in my handbag at all times, maybe I should make a little bag to keep the big bag in, what do you think? Cute? Excessive? Bonkers?

With regards to the giving, I have signed up to the Pay It Forward Giveaway, via Kimberley @ Tullulah House, So, according to the rules, I'm announcing my own! Here's the original text of the challenge, as copied from Kimberley's blog:

"Now here is how it works! I will send a handmade gift to the first 3 people who leave a comment on my blog requesting to join this PIF exchange! I don't know what that gift will be yet, and you may not receive it tomorrow or next week...LOL... but you will receive it within 365 days, that's a promise! and it will be something yummy!! The only thing you have to do in return is pay it forward by making the same promise on your blog..."

So for the first three people who leave a comment, I look forward to reading all about you in your blog and the things that you like, and making something special for you!

New Acquisitions

Over the weekend, I finally got round to going to my local car boot, after lots of missed opportunities due to rain and family gatherings, and I was pleased to find a few bits and pieces including a old pastry cutter tin, a lovely but severely beaten up old measuring jug, a pressed glass sugar shaker, and 24 old tartlet cases, all for £5.

I also bought a bolt of vintage printed cotton for £2.50, some hat pins for £1 and some cotton thread.

I also made a special visit to Matalan after browsing gigibird's blog and reading about these lovely mugs she bought there for only £2 each!

I bought four, and they look lovely on my little shelf in the kitchen

as well as this lovely measuring jug which my mum had bought previously for £5, but that I got in the sale for £2.50! Yes mum, I know you is gutted!

finally, I thought I'd show you this antique sign that my Dad bought years ago, but that I have acquired on 'permenant loan' (more later) and have on my staircase, it always makes me smile that many years ago someone had got so fed up with workmen graffitting his stairs, that he had this sign specially made.

Puppy Love

It's tough being a mum........

especially when you've got seven mouths to feed........

there's always one that's hungry.........

you can end up feeling a bit frazzled.......

finally...... five minutes peace......

it doesn't last long though- Oi, get that paw out of my eye!

but they grow up quicker than you'd imagine.........

soon it's time for them to find new families........

and say our goodbyes........

It was hard work, but i'll miss them x

and for my next project......

Since my bedroom curtains, are nearly finished (I'm waiting on the heading tape from Merrick & Day, who sell curtain making materials and sundries at wholesale price to the public.) I thought that I should get on with decorating our bedroom, which is still in the awful purple/lilac paint that nearly all the rooms where painted in when we moved in (the previous owners had also painted the radiators council estate green - why I ask you, why?!)
So I am planning to turn this.....

into this.....

Wallpaper - Laura Ashley Chalk Pink Oriental Garden, Paint - Laura Ashley Oyster (old range, still available in Homebase)

I also found this little marbled-topped wash stand over the weekend in my mum's old pottery (which is in my grandmother's walled garden) she had used the legs as a stand for her lathe, and it's covered in splatters of slip. So yes, you guessed it I'm sanding it down and painting it in some pale Farrow & Ball colour that I've got in the cupboard, haven't decided which yet. The marble is my favourite - Carrara, a lovely pale grey and white. I thought it would look gorgeous in a bathroom with a ceramic sink on top, but unfortunately my bathroom just isn't big enough, so in the meantime I'm going to put it at the foot of our bed. Now all I need is reasonably priced wash basin and jug to sit on the top.

Sneaky peek

Quick update on the bedroom curtains saga, they're getting there, the ruffley bit on the top is the practice heading sample.

Heaven Scent

I was in my workshop/outhouse yesterday afternoon, cutting reams of fabric for the red silk curtains I have to make this week, and listening to gardeners question time on radio 4 (I'm not sure if I'm supposed to listen to radio 4 all day considering I'm only 24, it started when I was 19! I think it's a comfort thing).

Bob Flowerdew's (I bet he made that name up) tip of the week was "don't let your sweet peas go to seed" and since the weather as been so awful, and I haven't been able to enjoy my garden outside, I decided to bring part of it inside.

so now I have a gorgeous posy of heavily scented sweet peas and pretty pale pink penstemon (hey, look at my alliteration skills!) sitting next to me, as I type this post on my coveted iBook, so I thought that I would share some photo's with you all (I so love using the macro option on my digital camera for lovely close ups, sigh).

Hopefully I will be having a show and tell soon of my full length oyster silk bedroom curtains that I started in January (yes, I know, thats 6 months ago, but I never seem to get round to it, I make curtains for other people every week, but when they are my own it's a different story!).

They have been sitting on the bed in the spare room/workroom since then, full of pins, and I have finally got round to sewing on a gorgeous, but rather delicate mother-of-pearl trim on the leading edge, and hand sewing the silk and interlining together, now all I have to do it is hand sew the lining in, and decided what heading I'm going to put on them.

Believe me, I have changed my mind about the heading for these curtains about 6 times, but think I have finally decided on something like this. I have done a practise run with some spare fabric, and it worked out alright, so watch this space!

Anyway I better get on with those red silk curtains or Phillippa is going to kill me!

Blue for you

Just thought that I would sneak some photos of Mum's new paintings. She has just started painting again, now that she has retired from teaching at technology at secondary school. Like I think I've explained already we are both a little bit obsessed with the colour blue, and thats all she seems to paint!

I think they are lovely, I want one.

Holy Smoke

Last week was smokey in more than one way, as you might have read in a previous post, I went to see Smokey Robinson at the Royal Albert Hall. He was great, his voice was still fantastic, and he sang all the the favourites - Tears of a Clown, Tracks of My Tears, Ooh Baby Baby, I Second That Emotion, Being With You, You Really Got a Hold on Me, and also the songs he wrote for other Motown bands such as 'Get Ready' & 'My Girl' sung by Temptations. He was also really funny and didn't take him self to seriously, funnier than the warm up comedian in fact! But Libby and I had to laugh, after the last wardrobe change, he wore a white polyester satin shirt and trousers with with diamante belt and shirt cuffs, a bling cross around his neck and two diamond stud earrings - Classy!

I have tried to see if anyone has posted a video of the concert on YouTube yet, but I only found this one which is a very poor video phone clip with some old boy singing out of tune over the top of it - quite comical really!

We also had a lovely dinner before hand at our family favourite Carluccio's courtesy of Mum and Dad. Thank you x

For those of you who live in the UK, you will know about the other smokiness I refer to, as on Sunday 1st July the UK has banned smoking in public buildings.... Hip Hip Hooray!! I can now go down the pub, and not come home smelling like an ashtray (says a reformed smoker of 5 years). And on friday I think all the smokers in all the offices, schools, etc. had a farewell party for their smoking rooms, (my mother-in-law even had a cigarette cake made - Yuk! Although I don't think it was actually made of cigarettes) and on saturday my NON-smoking husband, Danny, joined in, with his friend and had a cigar in our local - The Angel.

So commiserations to all you smokers out there who will now have to stand outside for a smoke during the lovely british summer that we are having, and celebrations for me and the rest of you non-smokers, Hurrah!