Here I am!!

Yes I'm back! After hiding in the cupboard under the stairs all this time I have decided to come on out and join the blogging party once again! Sorry I have been gone so long, I cannot believe that I have not been on here since July, I dont know why, no real excuses and I am ashamed to say that I have not really looked around blog land either so have not seen what all my lovely bloggy friends have been up to. But I spent yesterday catching up with all your doings and boy you have been busy and doing some exciting stuff!!!!

Well what have I been up to? I left off just before the Homespun Fair which was a great success, a lovely day with lots of customers but my favourite bit as usual was chatting to all my lovely fellow stall holders, it is always so nice to see you all and I am always sad that we do not have more time to just sit and natter!

You may have noticed that Gertie and I are organising a little Homespun between Christmas and New Year, it will be just for the afternoon and we are looking for stall holders so if you might be interested pop over to the Homespun blog to find out more.

Daisy spent most of her summer on the new bird table.

We had a busy summer but found time to get out and about. We decided that we would visit a garden each weekend who took part in the National Garden Scheme for charity and we went to some wonderful places that you would not normally be able to see and its a wonderful way of nosing round peoples gardens and houses and of course they always serve cake which is always a bonus! Here are just a few pics of some of the marvelous gardens we went to, I can recommend it as a summer past time.





Went to many car boot sales finding things for Christines shop, always an enjoyable past time.

A lady who came on one of my courses gave me these lovely price tickets, I just love the 'correct fashion' wonder what that was?

Recently I found these, a lovely old dolls pram and a sweet cot with a wonderful mattress, dont you just love the pics of the old toys?

But mainly this summer I have been trying to 'Focus' on my painting. I love to do so many things and it has been hard for me to really get on with anything of late as I keep side tracking myself into other projects. But we all know what happens when we spread ourselves to thin, nothing seems to get going so I have tried very hard to push all my other ideas aside and just paint and it has been wonderful! I am playing around with a few new techniques and researching American Folk Art and Naive painting which has been a bit of a passion for me for a number of years, trying to bring some of these qualities into my work. Its not everyones cup of tea I know and will maybe have a limited appeal but I feel like I need to follow my heart on this and not just do what I think people will buy. And I am glad to say that I have been selling a few pieces this summer in a gallery nearby and am hoping to be taken on by a few others soon, so wish me luck on that.

Here are a couple of paintings, the first is my more 'what sells' style, second one of my new pieces, quite large for me at 3 ft x 2 ft but I enjoyed every brush stroke! Its called "Reaching out" and its all about saying sorry and rekindling love and friendship. Much as I am hoping to rekindle my friendships with you all after being away so long, Sorry!

And there will be a give away on the next post, which wont be to long away this time!

Soon to be appearing....

Homespun is creeping up on us quickly now and I have started to get together lots of goodies for my stall. This time I am going to be selling mainly small pieces of furniture if I can get enough together in time and do them up. Saying that there will be other little treats like this gorgeous vintage pin cushion mouse and some fabric bundles.

A lucky find were these Welso doll house kitchen appliances, the fridge still has its cool boxes and milk bottles.

Also this toy german tin toy tea set with its pretty transfer print.

This truck would be great for giving teddies a ride.

A few of the jigsaws that will be coming along, there will be more from my collection joining them. I love wooden jigsaws, the farm one in the box at the back is a beauty with lots of animals that stand up so you can play with them and its in really thick wood so feels very substantial.

A great old hat box.

Dinky little plate wrack.

Not sure weather to repaint the green cupboard or just replace the stained paper on the front, it has sweet little china handles. The dresser I have had for a while but thought it was time to let it go, I need to make some new doors for the base. Its quite big for a toy one and great as a display.

Two toy cots in need of some bedding, I love the older one at the back you can lift the side up and down like a real one and its such a lovely colour, all original.

A group of little bits, my favourite being the hand painted 1930s toy bed on the left it is so sweet and I have just the right bit of vintage fabric to make some quilts for it. The little 1930s tea set is a lovely yellow, shame it has a couple of cups missing but the teapot is so lovely.

Well thats a few of the bits you will find with me at Homespun hope you will be able to come along to what will be a great day. Visit the blog to see who and what else will be there.

Thank you for all the birthday wishes.

And finally do look out as I feel a giveaway coming on so come back next time and see what you could win!

Birthday weekend

Phew! I have had a lovely whirlwind weekend. It was my birthday on Friday and I got some lovely cards and gifts in the post, so my day started well.

My lovely friend Sara, who we call Sparkly and if you met her you would agree, sent me these sweet little gifts. We do not see each other much and never talk on the phone we just write to each other and she is very dear to my heart.

Well I stayed in and baked a chocolate cheesecake for my party while Ian took Midge to the beach to tire her out. Then a quick lunch and we set off to Lanhydrock House for my birthday outing. We had been before but only walked around the grounds and not gone into the garden or the house. It was a real treat and if you are ever down here you really must go. I will let most of the pics speak for themselves........

Oooh the smell, wish computers had scratch and sniff!

Inside the house, well I could have posted lots more of the 146 photos I took but had to just select a few of my faves!

Kitchen, I should say kitchen's as there are many for all the different jobs, a bakery, a dairy, one for preparing veg, one for cheese storage, a butchers, a pantry, one that had ice for making ices etc all so interesting, I must say that I find the kitchens of big old houses the most fascinating, all those little domestic details.

The nursery, and just look at those little boots, I could have just reached over and picked them up, do you think they would have noticed!

This necklace was part of a costume worn by the lady of the house to a New Years party in 1900, and just how contemporary is that?!

In a little room upstairs dustpans at the ready.

I would love a little curiosity table like this.

This little thatched cottage is in the garden and is like a little fairies house,its been a summer house, a garden shed and a tea rooms since the last inhabitant died in the late 1800s, I wish it was in my garden.

A lovely afternoon and we did not leave till about six and it was quiet by then and we had the place almost to ourselves, I pretended in my head that it was all mine!

On Saturday I spent most of the day happily baking in the kitchen preparing for a little birthday tea it was just to be with my closest Cornish girlfriends (Yes I know there's a man but Ian did need some company!) . We had eaten and cleared away all the savouries by now and were just preparing to eat cake. The fat one in the middle with the light blue top is me.
Scrummy cake and more pressies to open! (My chocolate cake is becoming more well known than me!)

And while having my birthday tea Sue told us of a garden she had been to that day called Trevoole Farm who were doing the open garden scheme for charity, she could not get over how amazing it was, every thing was vintage, well we needed no persuading and on Sunday me, Ian and Christine drove to have a look. We were not disappointed!!!!!! Oh My God it was AMAZING (with a capital everything!) from the darling little cat who greeted us (would not fit in my bag!) to the vintage tea shop in a wooden, almost cricket pavilion, in the garden. Just feast your eyes on some of the yummyness and if you want more go over to Christine's blog, she has posted loads of photos which is good as it meant I didnt have to!

The potting shed

Cute old camper

Tables all over all with vintage fabric

A vase of flowers having an 'Amelie' moment while no-one was looking, except me!

Inside the potting shed.

That cat again, comfy on some no doubt precious seedlings.

You can rent a couple of the little cottages to stay in and they are decorated like you would not believe. Not sure if we were supposed to but we snuck in and nosed around.

I need a cupboard like this, NOW!

A girl can never have too much fabric.

In one of the many little gardens there is a shepherds hut done up as a little guest room. Smelt divine with all the lavender.

Even the chickens and ducks get a bit of vintage fabric.

Do go over to Christines blog, I have just realised a bunch of the photos I loaded have disappeared and the tea shop interior is missing and you must see that. And the vintage shop at the end of it all was the icing on the cake, of course I made a few purchases!

In all I have had a really brilliant birthday that seems to have lasted for three days, precious time with my darling husband, a great evening with some great friends, thank you all so much for making it special and the beautiful gifts and to top it all off a visit to vintage garden heaven!