Who can take a rainbow, wrap it in a sigh......

I don't know about you but I have a house full of stuff! It is getting just everso slightly past a joke and I have decided to try and sell a few things on. The loft is packed to dangerous proportions! There is Quentin Crisp dust depth, on the stuff, as there is too much stuff to dust. I have to admit too, that there is an awful lot of stuff, I don't 'see' any longer and I think I should move a few things on. For example ~
This is the front cover of a vintage children's book that I had forgotten I owned. Isn't the illustration lovely? Going to pop it on ebay soon....On my eBay at the moment, is this old costume doll I purchased in Vienna last December. Lovely, lovely doll but she has to find a new crib...I am so down with the..... erm, .....erm young people's language!

I never have any success with ebay. Whenever I want something, I always seem to be outbid and whenever I sell anything, zippo, zilch, not a sniff of a bid!

The postage is always a stress too. I always seem to pay too much if buying... so in the words of my fav and much missed D.J. old Terry Wogan.....'Is it me?' (Chris Evan's doing a fine job though...'The Candy Man' has been going round my brain all day). (BBC Radio 2)

Dolly sold :-)

Onto the launch of a very special website, built by my little sister .....YAH!!!!!! She is a brilliant paper cut artist and transforms tatty, old vintage books into these works of art and all sorts of other beauties. Go take a look if you can, she would be so pleased! deckled-edged Go Sis go! YAH!!!!!!

Then onto yours truly ~ Here are a couple of pieces I have been working on over the last few days. The envelopes that these have been worked on, are very special. Dated 1946 with beautiful text...everything here, buttons, fabrics, photos etc. are original and rare. Both are over in Etsyland.

And finally, my mate, the wonderful mimiloveforever and I decided to do a swoparoonie! I just told Karen that I love Budgies and left her with a free reign and look what she came up with! She has included everything I love here, Pinocchio, chucks, Jessie's diets from the Fast Show. If you can, pop over and read her post about our swop...it's a scream! Also, remember, if you have a fav pet that could do with the Mimilove treatment, she works to commission. Oh yes she does.

Thank you Karen, I really love my big Jessie x

Thanks so much for stopping by. x

hey, hey, you, you.......

Hello,thank you so much to everyone that took the time to comment on my last post. I have read each and every comment and really enjoyed all of your new year resolutions or not as the case may be! I'm sorry if I have not replied with a thank you to each of you.

So, as there were quite a few comments, I thought I would UP the 'giveaway' from one measly little brooch to three measly little brooches :-)All the names went into one's studio pottery bowl! They were stirred and mixed and I stood with my trusty camera poised as Holly, with her eyes closed picked three names.....

So.... dear Carolyn of Love Stitching Red, lovely Emma of Silverpebble and fabulous Rebecka of Vintage Fairy Tales, please let me have your addresses!

Thank you everyone once again for joining in the fun, it has been really great.

Onto 'the makes' of this week....I have been mostly making needlecases. The one below has a silk screen printed birdy as the focal design and reverse ... a wire heart.

This is what the needlecase looks like opened up....

Then another needlecase, where I used a paper ephemera collage and copied onto cotton. The colours are so soft and muted and the birds....so pretty. The lace adds some great texture.

On the back...wire again, lots of lace, embroidery and of course, loads of buttons.

The inside is the same for both needlecases, don't you just love a bit of Liberty????

As you can see I have started to use fine wire in my work, lordy I love it. So I have also been mostly making Valentine cards. When I get bit by the bug, it's all or nothing here you know. So everything is being wired to an inch of it's life here!

I'm sure all you bloggers who don't reside in the UK must be a bit tired of us Brits going on about the snow! It has certainly been a shock here to have so much for so long. Sorry, but here is another snow picture. This is my garden studio, where I slip and slide to at every given moment...thankfully it's not too far from the house.

Thank you all once again for stopping by. x

Just as you take my hand, just as you write my number down....

Hello...
What a surprise it has been that the sky has decided to dump a foot or so of snow on the UK. I hope it isn't hampering your life too much.

Over the last week or two I have been working on a new idea. Keepsake Boxes. Three in total, a Keepsake, a Baby Keepsake and a Wedding Keepsake Box.
All three boxes would have original artwork, but I am hoping to stay with the same kind of format for each type.

Here we have a 'Keepsake Box'. The box is strong ivory coloured card and has an invisible magnet inside to close. Organza pretty ribbon to close too.

Original artwork embellishing the top of the box. A mosaic of various images of this box.

Onto a Baby Keepsake Box. The baby's name, date of birth and weight can be added.

Finally, a Wedding Keepsake. Vintage papers, fabrics, wire heart, foil hearts, lace... and of course embroidery and buttons to finish. The happy couple's names and date of Wedding added to this too.

I hoped that they would be thought of as a special, thoughtful gift, that would last a lifetime.

I would be very grateful for your thoughts.

So all three have been freshly popped over into Etsyland along with the embroidered piece below.

To celebrate the start of a New Year, I am having a little teeny tiny 'Giveaway'. The 'Giveaway' will be a brooch very similar to this one....so if you fancy leaving me a comment, I would love to hear all about your New Year's Resolutions! I will throw the names in a pot and pick one out in a week's time! Have you kept that Resolution? Or are you like me and have not bothered?

:-)

Thank you very much for stopping by. x

We're surfing in the air, we're swimming in the frozen sky, we're drifting over icy mountains floating by.

Hello,
I sincerely hope the festive season is peaceful and relaxed for you and now we turn and look forward to the start of another year.
My collection of vintage baubles...In the meantime, on a personal matter, I shall be needing one of these very soon, a Figure Reducer! Oh, the abuse my digestive system has endured over the last few days. Why do I do it? Wrongly or rightly, I am anxious to get back to some sort of routine and I have slipped and slithered into my garden room and made a couple of items, to try and wrench myself into a world of creativeness again....although the sofa beckons and particularly the Christmas cake!

A beautiful vintage envelope...embellished by moi! (sold).

A Needle case...

All have gone off to Etsyland ......

~0~

Again, and I know I say it at every post, but I really do want to sincerely thank everyone for visiting my blog.

Thank you for all your wonderful comments and support through the year.

HAPPY NEW YEAR xxxx

vintage clarks shoes advertisement

We walked in the cold air. Freezing breath on a window pane, lying and waiting......

Thank you all so much for your kind wishes for my birthday trip to Vienna.
I was so lucky to have my family with me to celebrate. The journey starts at St. Pancras Eurostar train station.
We travelled to Brussells, then a connecting train to Cologne, then an overnight (12 hour) train journey through Austria to Vienna. A sleepy hand dangling from top bunk on the morning we arrived in Vienna. I actually looked and felt like scarecrow when we arrived, so we were all pretty happy to book into a beautiful hotel, have breakfast and a wash a brush up.

Off we set to explore Vienna! Our first afternoon was spent in the inner or centre of Vienna. Glorious shops, very wealthy, perfectly clean and tidy with stunning Christmas lights. Architecture was a picture postcard on every blink of the eye. Take a closer looksee at these friezes, need I say more?

On our first evening, we visited our first Christmas market. This was held outside the Town Hall. I can't begin to tell you what a glorious Christmas atmosphere this place had. The lights were stunning. The wooden cabins selling decs of every nature, food and drink a plenty and the Austrians, standing with friends, mug of punch in hand, food in the other, enjoying each others company. Wonderful!

Next day and more of the City. Vienna is a very easy city to navigate. The underground is usually only one set of stairs below ground, clean, reliable and not too crowded. Over ground there is a tram line and plenty of bus routes. The inner city is pedestrianised too, so it was a joy to wander from street to street.

The photo below was taken in an exquisite shopping arcade, rather like Burlington Arcade in London and this view was to the side. It reminded me of the film Labyrinth!

Oh the cake! I wasn't really very bothered about it, take it or leave it....ahem ;-)

Another Market ....

The Hofburg Palace below houses the famous white Lipizzaner horses.

Talking of horses we all enjoyed a horse and carriage ride. The sound of the horses and wooden wheels on the cobbles, evocative of days gone by.

On the evening we visited another Christmas market at the Schloss Schobunn Palace. It absolutely threw it down but it did not dampen the atmosphere.

Next day being the 'old girl's' birthday.....I was treated to a couple of hours at the local flea market. Extortionate prices for most items for sale. Purchased a couple of items but disappointed that even one plain vintage bauble was £12!

In the afternoon we visited the Spittelburg area. I loved it here, cobbled, narrow streets lined with wooden chalet vendors...lots to eat and drink again. Below pic of the current husband, Weiner in hand! By now soft, sweet, gentle snow flakes had started to fall. It was like being on a film set!

Beautifully decorated shop window. The Austrians certainly adore Christmas and seem to specialise in the use of white lights rather than coloured.

I do love a door handle or two!

Foolishly went on this in the evening....

I nearly pooped myself, I have never been so frightened in my life! 60m high....view looking down

Later that evening had the most glorious meal in Central Cafe. A vaulted ceiling, colonnaded, palace of splendour.

Our two girls.

Can't say I was very interested in this piece of cake either!

Our last morning was spent at Belvedere Palace to see Klimt's 'The Kiss' and several of Egon Shiele's work. My husband doesn't 'get' Schiele's work, so a healthy art debate ensued.
Looking out of the Belvedere. All is grand in Vienna!

Well, that is a whistle stop tour of Vienna. Thank you for staying with me through my ramblings. A truly remarkable and beautiful place, where there is national pride in a stunning city, high standards and the best Christmassy atmosphere I have ever been fortunate enough to relish.

Thank you for stopping by. x