The big smoke and more bags

I've been away longer than I anticipated and I'm going to blame it on the weather! After all, what's a making post without any photos? Well today I looked at the forecast for tomorrow (rain all day) and decided the photoshoot would have to be an indoor gloomy affair. So apologies for the images.

 

After all your positive feedback on my winter bags I decided to whip up some more. They've taken a while but here they are...

Another in the lovely alpine fabric because I kept the first and have taken your advice and used it every day! Of course you were right, it's not too early, I just wasn't feeling Christmassy - see I've said it now. Anyway that weather forecast is mentioning snow next week.

a lilac barkcloth beauty

 really old cowboys

 and mid century magic.

I'm going to pop them in my Etsy shop for the time being then take them to Mrs Darling's Christmas Fayre next Saturday and see how they go down.

Earlier this week I got a rare day to myself in London. Reading her blog I narrowly missed Vintage Jane and my evening photos are going to look very similar to hers!

This market was shut but I had to get a photo of the semi 2CV.

A visit to the Tate to see the Pre Raphaelites topped off a lovely day.

Back soon with loads more making ready for next weekend.

Just hope the sun shines on Sunday as promised.



Tintin goes in search of Annie

A busy day for old Tintin today. We headed off to Bergere Interiors at Lytchett Matravers for some Annie Sloan paint. Lots of lovely painted French furniture...

 

 

 

But sadly they've stopped selling paint.

Tintin even spotted a replacement door, should he ever need one!

A lovely courtyard full of pretty garden bits and pieces.

Nice enamel jugs and pots. We've got quite a collection of these at home.

This bench caught my eye mainly because of the colour. I do love old garden furniture. It reminded me I have some rusting frames of chairs in the garage to redo...

Had to pop into the cafe of course.

Stopping to admire the bluebells.

So Tintin came home. We consulted the web, grabbed a slice of leftover pizza and headed off up the Piddle Valley to Stalbridge. Shy Violet is now my nearest stockist. A lovely shop full of beautiful things. I can't wait until I need more paint to go back for another look!

Now my paintbrushes await...

Back in a few days with that giveaway I promised.

Speaking of giveaways. Pop over to Torie Jayne's for a chance to win some pretty Cornishware.

x

Distracted by green stuff

Today I packed the jammers in Tintin and we headed 'up north'! Not that far mind you but far enough to glimpse some snow, much to their delight. There were shrieks to stop the car, go home and get the sledge but really there was very little left.

We were heading to this little place...

Gold Hill Organic Farm at Child Okeford

to take a peak inside this place...

The Art Stable 

As always I was cutting it fine. Yesterday my email told me today was the last day of their Homage to the Hambledon exhibition. For those of you who aren't local, The Hambledon Gallery is currently a rather delicious shop in Blandford selling clothes to covet and stylish home wares. This year is its 50th and the exhibition celebrates the artists who hung out there in the '60's when, as the name suggests, it was a gallery.

The colours in the Mary Fedden works reminded me of the mid 20th century fabrics I've been saving for my sitting room. Perhaps I should start saving.

 
 I'd love to say you must go and see and so I should but sadly it's too late. So, if you're in the area, what about this instead? Kelly's next exhibition starts after half term, lino cuts.

 
Thank you Kelly, if you're reading, for being so welcoming to my children!
They got distracted by this sweet calf...

and me by this lovely green 2CV!

I've got a bit of a thing about green.
Would love to see what's behind this green door.

Next stop the The Hambledon Gallery shop where I just about restrained myself.

Littlest jammer didn't show much restraint in the cafe though.

And neither did I in Papyrus when I saw a green dress/top/tunicky thing and it fitted - hurrah!

The fridge has changed this week.
Bye bye daffs, welcome tulips.
x

Emily's adventures in Tintin I

Thank you for your comments on my last post. It's funny how everyone remembers their first car and I'm pleased to see I'm not the only one who names them!

Yesterday was our first proper trip out in Tintin. Being a blue car I decided he'd look his best by the sea so in the morning we headed off to West Bay for some better photos...

He had many an admiring glance and attracted much attention in the carpark.

As usual we had Emily Button tagging along. She thought Tintin was a much prettier car for photos and posed happily in the sun much to the amusement of passers by.

Gorgeous car, gorgeous day, gorgeous sky

I'm so chuffed with this photo.

More cheery colours.

Tintin plays with the boats.



So, where next Tintin?

It started with a Citroen

I must start by explaining this is a post of many parts. I started writing it a fortnight ago and kept saving it as I wasn't sure how it would end.

Part 1

Many moons ago when before I learnt to drive I bought this as my first car. This was the only photo I could find of him, taken after a very wet trip to Cornwall. I remember trying to plug all the leaks as I drove! Well he didn't last long. A weetabixed chassis put paid to him and he lived out his days in my dad's garage being robbed of doors, being home to a litter of feral kittens and eventually a wasps nest in the driver's seat!

But they kept on coming... the 2CVs, not the kittens and wasps. I met Mr Jam and he had to have one, then we decided we needed a van, then we needed a 'spare one' and so it went on... in fact I've never driven a boring old 'normal' car.

You can spot a couple littering our neighbourhood last winter!

The attraction? I hear you ask. Well predominantly it's a shape thing. The strokable curves, the cheerful 'face', the minimal interior, I could go on but I wont.

Having dug out a picture of my very first car I set myself the challenge of finding a photo of all the rest to show you. Whilst I'm busy scanning and reminiscing, fate strikes and costs me a fortune.

Part 2

I hear from a 2CV friend and we talk 2CVs and realise we're both watching the same one on Ebay. Trouble is he's just bought one that day so perhaps it should be mine... and my current Charlie's bodywork is pretty disastrous... and this one is local - a Dorset 2CV... and he can take a look at it for me... and it's blue! So I spend the next day dreaming, checking Ebay, checking again to make sure it's still there, then again 10 minutes later just in case.

So two days later the deal is done whilst we're on the beach. I've agreed to buy it over the phone and sell Charlie to my friend who WILL love and look after him better than I have.

Part 3

So here's the change on the drive this week. The less observant neighbour could almost be excused for not even noticing!

 Meet Tintin! He is the shinier, stronger, quieter and generally less rusty/mossy version of Charlie. I've been waiting all week for the V5 so I can tax and drive him. Today was going to be his big day out but sadly he stayed on the drive until I got home from Honiton and found the V5 waiting. So now he's ready for an adventure. We're thinking West Bay tomorrow. Somewhere to take some nicer photos. I realised doing the 2CV collage I only take photos of my cars when they go and are usually way past their best!

So the lesson is either take the photos straight away or look after the car. A tricky one but I'm pledging to do both! Did you hear that?

A monthly make and a coffee van

Hello readers and my there have been a lot of you lately! Thank you for all your lovely comments. They are all read and appreciated and Emily Button's have been shared with the little jammers.

It's been a busy couple of days. The jammers are back to school and I'm enjoying two days off all to myself. Mostly I've been painting furniture interspursed with a bit of sewing and listening to my fabby new Tim Booth CD. 

I signed up for The Monthly Make over at Annie the Felt Fairy's blog - as if I needed an excuse to make. I think it should be a weekly make! Anyway here it is my first contribution...

 After deChristmasssing the living room I felt new cushions were in order as it was looking a bit naked and sorry for itself. So I made this bolster from a lovely vintage textured fabric with velvet ends.

 I'm loving these zingy colours at the moment and have got a bit of a thing for vintage plant fabrics too.

So a nice rectangular one with mustard bobble trim edges and backing and a round one with green bobbles too!

Trouble is I don't yet know what else I'll make this month. What if I submit the cushions then make better stuff? You can view everyone's monthly makes here on the Flickr page.

Too busy to stop for a coffee in cafe this week so my trustee little van Mister Magoo brought me one home without spilling a drop! I'm glad he lived up to his design spec of being able to carry a tray of eggs across a ploughed field safely, Mr Citroen would be proud. MM has been a top van this week. He hadn't been out for several weeks so I was delighted when he started without me needing to encourage him with swear words. He then drove nicely delivering furniture and picking up coffee which left me thinking he really should get out more...