Jollity All Round

Amongst all the busy busy that is general life around here at the moment there is a lot of colour. It's frankly all very jolly indeed and that's how we like it best.

Colourful vintage needles are all be-ribboned and ready for Little Vintage Lover at Burnham Market this weekend. There are also quite a few makes that are ready and waiting for their finishing touches. So I thought you might like a peek at some of them before they arrange themselves all decoratively on my stall.

I've made some of the playing cards I put my brooches on into gift labels. I was asked a few times at Woodbridge market if I sold them as gift tags so I thought I'd better make a few ready for christmas gifts.

In the mornings tucked up in bed I've been crocheting these adorable mistletoe kisses. Some I've made into brooches and the rest have been sewn on to hairclips. With your mistletoe always at the ready you'll be able to ask for a kiss whenever you want.

Now as I've suddenly acquired a lot of vintage wooden hangers from Craig and also from Emmie I needed to get on with prettying them up.

This was my first one which I'm really pleased with. I always make just one of each new thing to see if I like it before I start cutting into my fabric stash. Well I was very pleased, so all the rest have been cut and sewn today.

I love taking something vintage, adding some new fabric or embellishments and then hey presto it's something new to be loved once more.

Tonight's job will be lining this basket and padding out the top. I'm not so sure I'll be able to part with this one, but then I do still have another larger one to cover gifted from Teena.

After a busy morning making, I had to go to the bank which meant a whizz around the charity shops too. Now only yesterday I was moaning about the shortage of good booty in the CS lately. Well today was a great gathering goodies day. A pair of beautiful rose bowls and lilac needles were found in the first one.

Then another holiday tablecloth, this time from Devon.



I couldn't believe my luck when I found this pair of vintage children's pinnies. I'll definately be popping them on my stall.

Now for the really exciting bit as these are for us and us alone.

I found some baubles. Not just any old baubles, but frosted pink baubles and just the one golden one all hidden in a box of nasty plastic ones. I think they look just perfect with the crepe paper which will become homemade decorations of one sort or another. That's going to be a decision for another day I think as we have ooohhh - weeks and weeks left for all that stuff.


So I put them to one side with the conkers which are being fiercely guarded by the orangutan. Autumn and winter side by side in two dishes.

Now tomorrow is another busy day. A chocolate cake and buns to bake for the school christmas bazaar on Saturday. Little Bun's class are in charge of the cafe, so I can't get out of that one. Then more making before the end of the day when we'll be heading off to the Christmas Lights in the market town we used to live in.

All very jolly all round I think.

A Vintage Pair

Well I did promise to pop back and show you some of my recent makes, but that will have to wait for another day now as I have something else I want to share with you. The feature for the Pick 'n' Mix Market in the Norfolk magazine came out yesterday. My thoughtful neighbour popped over with it in her basket to ask if I knew it was out early, so off I went to buy a copy. We're both really pleased with how it's been laid out and written.

Teena and I were both avoiding wearing our seeing goggles perched on the ends of our noses so we were having trouble even finding a needle to use in this shot.

Next week and then the week after we're in two of the local papers aswell. I can't wait to see what they've done with us then as we kept pulling a lot of silly faces.

Thrifty Gifts to Inspire

Over the last week I was given a few lovely thrifty gifts. My Pick 'n' Mix partner in crime passed these lovely blankets on to me thinking the Bun's would like them.

Well they do and so do I. In fact I thought we should all share this colourful and cheery little one so I popped it on the back of the armchair to cover up torn patches that need mending. Now they can wait for another day as I can't see them.

At my Wednesday crochet group I was given a bag of colourful cotton threads. There are a few more than these too, all in lovely shades perfect for making jewellry or embroidering on wool. I'm really enjoying these evenings. I love being back teaching again as it's wonderful seeing someone start with little knowledge or experience of something and then just grow. Within two weeks everyone was hooked and said how soothing crochet is. Cake and chat does help make it a great evening.

Then on Friday my friend Emmie popped over and brought a pillow case full of wooden hangers and joy of joys some are already padded, so all I've got to do is cover them and jazz them up a bit.

As usual I'm cutting it fine again on the making front so I'm busy trying to get things made. If I don't I think I'll have the barest stall known at the weekend in Burnham. I've cut up more embroidered linens to make into button and trinket bags as these have all gone. I'm also crocheting a few more brooches and hopefully padding those hangers. I'll show you some of my makes when I finally finish it all. It's a juggle at the moment between school dates for christmas, days needed for working, applying for part-time work and our Makers Market. I refuse to get het up though as it all gets done in the end somehow.

On Sunday afternoon I finally got myself focused on work. Full up after lunch at Pizza Express, courtesy of Tesco vouchers, the Buns ran upstairs to play so we cosied in front of the fire. No interrupted conversations, half an hour to sew and just be together Mr Bun and I. Our Buns are growing up and need us a bit less now. Happy and sad about that one.

Here's one of my makes I have started on. Each one I think "ohhh I like those colours, I want to keep it." It's a hard one this as I only make what I like, I've never made for the buyer whose taste might be different to mine as I want to enjoy what I'm doing. This gives me a big problem though as I then find it hard parting with everything.

Now these fingers had better stop tip tapping here and get sewing again.

A Needy Boy

Pugs are very needy dogs indeed. They love deeply and badly need that love returned in bucketfuls. Thank goodness Mr Bun and Molly adore Alfie and all let him share a cuddle. Molly even washes him. Me - well I love him from a distance and a pat on the head. I love him, but I hate doggy smells, having my clothes covered in fur and being licked when I know full well what he snuffles in on his walks. Yuk.

Don't get fooled by the mournful look on his face either. He gets the cream around here and he knows it.

Oh and thanks for your lovely comments yesterday. Now I know you're all trying to avoid the nasty jobs just like me.

Piles of things coming at me

Bleary eyed, yet again. This morning I woke to find this little gang waiting for me on the landing. Shows someone has been up a lot earlier than me.

I'm most definately a night owl - early mornings I could do without. Each day I wake up at the last minute and race around like a woman posessed helping the Bun's get school tights on, hair tied in plaits and bunches or if we're really late a quick ponytail. I curse Alfie, Molly and Pip as I trip over them for the 10oth time as they howl for breakfast. As I'm upstairs getting dressed I'm yelling brush your teeth, put your shoes on and knowing we're going to be cutting it fine again getting to school on time. We all know whose fault it is. It's mine for grabbing those extra few minutes in bed, because I stayed up really late again last night trying to squeeze more out of the day.

So the point of this ramble is to point out a few realities. Realities delivered in a pretty way. I'm not going to show the actual reality of overflowing bins and mess, because who wants to see that.

I come back from the school dash not knowing where to start first. Do I pick up the mugs I left on the sofa this morning? No I don't because then I'd have to go in the kitchen and face the sink piled high, the really really badly in need of washing floor and all the paperwork stuffed at one end of the counter.

So I trundle off to feed the pets I ignored first thing. That means looking at the bookcase which has become a dumping ground for odd things that don't have homes. It's really bad below this, believe me, no tastefully arranged books, just things dumped and left.

Pets fed and my mind wanders to what I want to be doing today. I want to make fun things and present things and just enjoying making them things.

There's definately enough inspiration here for me to be getting on with. Those two rolls of fabric are my first choice for craftiness.

I bought them on Sunday from Craig and Tracey at the Textile Fair as I thought they were perfect to make pencil rolls for the Bun's christmas presents.

Craig also gave me some vintage hangers to cover (crochet or fabric I'm still undecided). More importantly will it ever get done? Now this is what I'm really writing about here. It's what I want to be doing and what needs to be doing. How do I know where to start first to make the most of those few school hours that allow me to get on and work. I hate sitting in a filthy house with jobs and paperwork piled up all around. I really need to get making too as most of my stock was sold at the weekend. So wonderful, but it just means more things to add to the mental list. Then there's the fact that I'm here writing this, much more fun than washing up though. Maybe the pixies have been in and helped out.

Now lets step back a bit from the gorgeous fabric stash and you can see what I mean about wondering where to start first. There's a very big - well two very big - piles of ironing. These are going to keep growing if I don't have a word with them and then there's that wall. A bit white, a bit green. In fact there are quite a few of these walls around here. So where do I start first? The only solution I can think of is to buy blinkers or get rich and pay someone else to do it.

Right I'm off to put the mugs in the sink. I think that's a start at least. Have a great day won't you.

Where was I?

It's only been a short break really, but I feel as if I've not been here for an age. Life has become so hectic of late that I've been left at the end of each day realising I never had time to reach for my camera in that small moment when the sun actually did shine.

On the run up to christmas now and I have a fair every fortnight. This is something I love and hate each year. I always want to be making presents for my family, but need to make more for my stall as it never ever looks enough in my mind.

This weekend I'll be at The Costumes & Textile Associations 2nd Vintage Fair in Blackfriars Hall in Norwich (10-4pm). So if any of you are near by pop along and say hello. It promises to be a great fair. I'll catch up with some friends who are also selling on the day and I plan to try and knit the other wristwarmer for Eldest Bun in between. Bet it doesn't happen, but I like planning the impossible.

The other news I have. Well as I've never been in the press or a magazine before I am very excited at this feature in Sew Hip. I'm so thrilled at how lovely our poster looks in print too. Little Bun took it in to show and tell yesterday. I doubt the other kids were as excited.

Teena and I have also posed for two different photographers now in various smiley scenes. We have features appearing in two local papers and the county magazine to promote Pick 'n' Mix. Even Alfie Blue got in on a few of the shots, but looked so mad and jumpy I doubt they'll use those.

Right o then - back to the grindstone. Stock needs labelling, float needs getting and then off to visit my dad who has just come out of hospital.

Finding my Ho Ho Ho

Slowly, ever so slowly a few things seem to have happened. Suddenly I feel more like a person again, rather than just being a floppy mass of coughs and aches. I can move and actually want to do things again. There is a problem with this though. While I felt poorly, nothing mattered much except being cosy at home. Now I'm back in the land of the living it dawned on me that there's only six weeks until our first Pick 'n' Mix Market and then there's that other thing happening just after. Also Mr Bun and I are late December babies, so it becomes a busy time of year for making presents and planning stuff.

I thought about all of this for a bit and then realised I'd better try and get the sparkly creative part of my head switched on. I took a few festivey shots to get me in the mood. I'm not sure if it's working just yet, but I'll let you know. If you really don't want to think about all of this jingly jangly sparkle stuff just yet Look Away NOW.

NeArly finIsheD. Mr Bun and Eldest Bun came back with this great bottle of beer. Eldest Bun is a very beautiful Rosey, so she roared with laughter when she thought this beer was named after her.

Now I think I'm nearly inspired enough to go off and think of Robins and jingly bells. If you want some christmas inspiration pop on over to our Pick 'n' Mix blog as we have listed nearly all of our makers now and there are some truly fabulous things to look at.

Happy Horrors

The Bun's were so excited about the family party we were having for Halloween. I was a party pooper though as I've been flat out with the flu for the past few days so we had to cancel the guests. There was no way we wanted them to go without a party though. Amazingly pre-children I would have been laying in bed groaning and sleeping. These days you get up and do the best you can and we had fun. In the morning Mr Bun took them to the castle for spooky fun and then came back to cook and prepare the party.

We ate dead man finger stew, followed by scary jelly with jelly frogs in it.

Then we played a few games. One of the favourites was pin the nose on the witch. We also played guess the monsters name pinned to your back. Mr Bun having Tinky Winky pinned to his back caused hysterical laugher.

Now fingers crossed for wellness as a busy week is ahead again. Not least another interview with a journalist for a feature about our market. As she's bringing the photographer with her I hope my red nose and black eyes disappear. Or is that just the ghoulish make-up from last night?