Some Scribbles

I've been making a few sketches lately and thought I might share them with you. I'm not sure how good they are really or original, but hey ho we all have to start somewhere.

The Bun's and I saw this really sad man crabbing on the bridge at Walberswick recently. I don't think he had caught anything that day. His image haunted me though and I felt driven to get it down on paper. It's been difficult coming up with the right title.

Mr Bun was hedge trimming at the weekend and irritatingly cut off a sideburn. Ever since he's been wearing a Turkish style bandage around his head. I'm sure I've seen something like this before.

How thoughtless, as we drove through the village we saw that someone had dumped a wagon and their horse in the village pond. I thought I'd better sketch this as evidence. Now I'm tempted to get the oils out and work on this further.

I hope you've enjoyed me sharing my little burst of recent creativity with you all.

Have a great August Bank Holiday weekend. Enjoy the weather x

Grab and Run

Getting to the Wednesday morning carboot has been nearly impossible this summer. I'm having palpitations thinking of all those vintage goodies that I might be missing out on. Then dragging two Bun's around who mainly say over and over again mantra like 'how much longer? how much longer?' is beyond my patience levels.

This week though I decided they just had to lump it as I wanted to go. I tried a different approach this time. They had money to spend with the provisio - buy nothing over 50p. Then we ran in raid like with my head swivelling this way and that until something sparkled at me and off we raced across the field. They certainly enjoyed this version better. Within twenty minutes we had spent £5 and bagged some real goodies. All happy. Off we go then.

First great finds a box full of general junk and at the bottom all sorts of fabulous vintage children's bricks. There are quite a few of these still in the box.

I also decided to change my header when I took these pictures as it was time for a change and these bricks are just the thing along with the sign I have on my fair table.

Yet more china - but it glitters - so very delectable.


This made me giggle with all the toys lined up. Not sure what the message is here on a toffee tin though.


A very Ms Kidstonish brooch.

When I paid the man on the stall he went to wrap my china and threw this old towel aside from the box of newspapers. He looked at me as if I'd lost the plot when I asked how much he wanted for it.

Finally another tin. There's always room here for another tin and this one really cheers me with its bright flowers.

I've heard about a very big carboot this weekend. I'm itching to go. Somehow I think I might be the only Bun rising early around here.

Dollies and Patchy Things

Eldest Bun has never really liked dolls, she's always loved cuddly toys better. I have to agree with her. As a child I only liked small dolls, I thought baby sized ones were creepy. I didn't weep recently when Baby Bjorn's head fell off. Mr Bun and I were both a bit wary of her with her large head and unflinching stare.

This summer, however, the Bun's have played dolls together more and more and suddenly eldest bun wished she hadn't stood in and broken my childhood cot. I gave it to her the christmas she was four with blankets I had knitted and a ragdoll called Madeleine tucked up inside. She threw it all out and the cot became a boat. Hence it broke.

Now she can't find the blankets I'd made for her dolls, so in the end I promised to make some new ones if she helped. In fact as I said it I thought it was about time she learned how to use a sewing machine and how to do a few sewingy things. I remembered being taught by my mum and how it meant I could re-do and make my own clothes once I'd grown out of making tiny dolls clothes.

With the new carbooted cot ready for the baby doll (Annabel this time) we got started.

Little Bun's best doll Kitty has handmade covers and also Handy (her hands come off so she can get her coat on, - I guess that's why she named her that) - anyway - I made Handy this matress and bedding too.

After a pile of fabrics were selected we decided on a patchwork blanket. I've never patchworked before so I think we'll both learn a thing or two here.

Fabric chosen, we worked out our sizes and I got cutting.

Eldest Bun then realised she'll need her sewing box, mine will never do as this is her project after all. At Christmas I bought them both a box and filled it with handmade and bought goodies to inspire them. I copied the design on the button bag from Sew Happy, but the needlecase and pincushion are my own designs.

Off we go learning about right and wrong sides and how to pin - all the things I take for granted now.

We play with the lever that raises and lowers the foot. Eldest Bun is really impressed with the thingy that cuts the thread and that I can choose tortoise or hare speed. We opt for tortoise. After a lot of practice she holds that fabric down and machines an excellent straight line

and stops to take pins out on the way.



Suddenly we have three strips ready for pressing and joining together.

Once all that is done - I'm left with the fiddly boring job of basting on the binding and finishing off.

We're both really pleased with our first adventure in sewing and patchy things.

The only other patchy thing around here is our cosy armchair which is beside me now waiting for a Bun to curl up in and tell me their thoughts on the day so far. Teena asked why I'd left it out in my house post and to be honest I'd forgotten it. It fits better here anyway.

Now I feel inspired to start patchy covers for the Bun's wintertime beds. I've saved their dresses and clothes with lovely fabrics over the years to do this so no excuse now I know it's not that difficult.

Just thought I'd better add about the cushion as a few people had asked. It is similar to Vanessa's, but the design comes from a baby blanket in a Rowan book by Lois Daykin called Baby Crochet. I started it just as Vanessa started hers in the funny way in blogland that we all seem to be inspired by similar things. The flowers are her design which I acknowledged in my post 'I'm on a Roll'. Thought I'd better point this out as I always acknowledge and give credit where it's due so I'd hate it to seem that I hadn't done so. here. Funnily enough Vanessa and I have already had this chat between ourselves about how we crafty bloggers sometimes converge with our projects.

A Bountiful Day

Wow - well I bet a shot of a red bucket filled with crab apples has seriously got your interest. This is where it all started yesterday. I got fed up with the darned things falling on our heads while we ate underneath the crab apple tree, so I pulled some off. There are still masses and I have no desire whatsoever to make jelly, so I'll put the bucket outside and hope someone takes them away.

After that the Bun's and I had a look at the greengages and we were so excited to find that we had got to them before the wasps this year.

The greengage tree was a Mother's day present from Woolies (so a tree of historical significance now too). It moved with us from our old house and seems to like it here too.



I planted it a few days before little Bun was born so they're the same age.

The other tree that is as old and moved with us is her apple tree. We planted that for little Bun when she was born. Eldest Bun has a beautiful Rose. For probably quite obvious reasons.

While we were picking the greengages our neighbour popped over with the smallest sweetest tomatoes. Starting to see chutney developing before our eyes I got the urge to go fruit picking. The nursery we go to is a slice of heaven for us, so a great afternoon is guaranteed. I love ramshackle places with animals running everywhere as do the Bun's. We all have a dream to live somewhere like the Darling Buds of May one day.

Before fruit picking I thought a mystery tour for a picnic venue would be just the thing. Picnic packed and off we went.

Once we drove past one of the many windmills that are dotted around the Norfolk Broads, the Bun's guessed where we were headed.

A ride on the chain ferry to picnic on the other side. We could eat here, but that's not as much fun is it.

While we sat on the embankment munching merrily we saw this fabulous yacht go by. The sails were full of wind so it whipped by at quite a speed. It reminded me of the boat GR-J sailed on the Broads on Sunday (if any of you caught that great rivers programme). My earliest years were spent messing about on the water as my dad had a boatyard on the Broads. My strongest memory is of the eccentric community who lived on houseboats there. I loved visiting them and having squash and cake with them while my parents worked at the yard.

For a moment we thought they might collide.



Picnic eaten and one return journey back to the car on the other side and off we go to find

The Bun's were thrilled that Mr Cottonslippers (their name for this elusive feather footed gent) was around. He dashed off each time I got the camera near him though.

Then we saw this sign and knew we were in for a treat. You never know where you might find them as there are so many places for them to hide.

This hen actually had fifteen chicks around her. I'm sure she must have been chicksitting.



So beautiful this lady.

That's only a few of the hens and chicks we saw as they were also amongst the bushes with us as we ate (picked I meant). Little Bun gave the game away completely as she was covered in purple juice with a big splodge on her cheek.

Look at all the jewels we came home with, plus the tomatoes from earlier. I've never paid to pick blackberries before, but they're so disappointing on our hedges at the moment and these were delicious. There are sloes though and with a spot of gin and a long wait I might try to rustle up something for those winter months ahead.

I really must say a big thankyou to all of you who are following my blog and who leave me such lovely comments. They are truly appreciated and mean that I keep finding loads more fantastic blogs to visit too. Even when I'm slow in getting round to say hello I do get there in the end. One of the newest blogs to me lately Maminka Girl had a great quote which I'll share with you.
'You will never find time for anything. If you want time you must make it.' (Charles Buxton). Sums up a day really, constantly chasing my tail and trying to squeeze that little bit extra out of it before the sun goes down. See you in a day or two.

H is for home

Or in our case the cottage with the little blue door.

I've been thinking for a while that you might like to have a bit more of a wander around the Bun cottage. I know I love having a good look around other people's homes, so it's my turn to return the favour. I've had to take a few snaps of the house recently so that will explain it's tidy state. Not a completely normal state of affairs to live this tidily honestly, especially with two girls moving from room to room to craft and then play trains or whatever else takes their fancy.

We moved into a cottage of dark wood doors, red carpets and apricot walls. I've redecorated nearly all the rooms and the outside doors and walls since we moved here two and a half years ago. Just our bedroom to go and lots of finishing off stuff and I'll be done, for now.

In we go through the appley green porch

past our little drinks men who sit waiting for another bottle

and into the room where I write my blog, faff about daydreaming and have playmobil, lego and Sylvanian worlds laid out around me.

Through the first door and into the sitting room.






Then the dining room where sewing, eating, crafty stuff and board games all take place. For Fliss here's the indoor shots of bunting I promised you, and there's some more to come too.





Down a small step into the kitchen. Mind your head if you're tall like us.

On the other side of the kitchen is the back hall. The only place with room left for our big bookcase and Alfie Blue's crate where he takes himself when it all gets too much. I won't show you the laundry room as it's a disastrous mess, but my shelves of fabric stash are in there.

A real luxury when we moved here with two tiny Bun's was having a downstairs cloakroom. No more mad dashing up the stairs before an 'accident' happened. There's even a teeny tiny bath in here, but I use it to store bags of stock as the garage of the hall is also overflowing with stuff. We don't need to see that.

Now then, back through the kitchen,

and up the stairs. These are still waiting to be painted, but really not an ideal job for the summer holidays.

Straight ahead and here's the bathroom. Recently apricot with orange and grey tiles. Tiles just need a few more coats of white and that's another room finished.

When I did Little Vintage Lover recently I bought a packet of 1940's advertising from the button lady. I bought it mainly for this fabulous 1943 advert which reminds me of Mr Bun in photos when he was a little boy. It helps that he loves football and custard and it really cheers up the bathroom.

Across a very small landing which is waiting to be plastered in Paris Rose wallpaper, but I haven't a clue how to wallpaper, so I'm still waiting.

Into little Bun's room.

Finally a quick peek at eldest Bun's room and we're finished. No pictures of our room as the Bun family were all sprawled over the room reading while I took these upstairs shots. Hope you enjoyed having a peek.