One thing leads to another

Charity shops and the car boot are a good feeling sort of shopping. The rules of real shopping don't apply here. You might set out wanting something specific, but there's no guarantee you'll ever find it. You will find lots of stuff you never knew existed, that you loathe from 50 paces and sometimes that elusive something you've lusted after for a while.

I bump into friends at the Boot who have a good eye and yet we still find different things that the other fails to see. It's a proper grown-up treasure hunt all of your own.

Treasure found this week has been good so far. This curtain panel is destined for a cushion cover for Eldest Bun's bedroom. The colours inspired me to use some of my cotton stash to start another Colour Blob white cushion to go with it.

I spent a happy couple of hours this afternoon whirling these colour blobs up and have just started making their ice cream white edges.

Hooks and coloured needles have been found everywhere lately. All the CS's seem to have a blackmarket stock. So don't forget to ask what they might have hidden under the counter.

The last two weeks of Booting have been rainy and pretty poor on the treasure front. Today the sun shone, I bumped into friends, had a laugh with some old Norfolk boys who were buying strange things to put potatoes in with and found some luverly china.

There was only one cactus teacup to four saucers in this adorable Meakin set. I've been trying to find out what the range was called so I can try and find some more cups. If anyone has any ideas I'd be really grateful. Mr Bun has fallen for these completely so they're staying firmly put in our cupboard.

Handpainted china cups and plates which always call out to me.


Talking to the old boys, I found this set in the middle of the gardening tools. A bit of pretty covered in muck and mud.

On the way home I had a library stop. I unearthed a good book for a spot of inspiration and a collection of Larkin daydreams for the Bun family to cuddle up to over a few evenings.

I've noticed I have quite a few new followers lately. A lot of you don't have a blog, so unfortunately I can't pop along and say hello. Please take this as a hello and thanks for leaving your calling card. I also really appreciate all the comments you leave me. I'm not always as good as I'd like to be at getting around to say hello or thankyou back. We all need a few more hours in our days and I think we'd get quite a bit more done.

Halfway Already

When I was making Little Bun's bed the other day, I turned round and was stopped in my tracks by the beauty of our cherry tree. Now I've told you I'm no green fingered Lil so I might be wrong here, but I'm sure the blossom was pink last year. Eldest Bun agrees with me on this one too. Can trees do this and go for a change of image when they want to catch us out?

I think she's a lucky girl having that view out of her window, very dreamy.

It made me go and have a look at Eldest Bun's view from her room. Our garden and the fields beyond. She chose this room so she could keep an eye on the hens and anything else that wandered in. At the moment we have a male and female duck that come to the kitchen window to be fed each morning. EB and I watched from up here tonight as Mr Bun threw them some bedtime corn. Fingers crossed ducklings will be born in our garden.

Now those hens of mine have been allowed back into the tidy garden and they're having a lot of fun. I caught them nestled into deep dug holes having a fabulous dust therapy session before pecking the bugs off each other on Monday afternoon.

Spring is bringing out the cupboard clearing bunny in my nature. I've been finding things and looking at stuff as if it's new as I try and move the clutter from one place to another. The petal edge plate collection is growing.

I found a small greendawn jug I didn't even know I had, so I lined the colours up to admire their sugared almondness.

Then I spicked and spanned the downstairs bathroom, which sounds grand, but really it's a very tiny place where we feed the cat and use the bath to store bagloads of stuff. There are some nice bits though.

Around work I've been busy hooking different bits and bobs and coming up with plans of what I'll be making for my next market at the end of May. Yes time is rushing towards our second Pick 'n' Mix Makers Market. It's all systems go with a long list of things to do to be ticked off by us both this week over lunch.

We have had some great coverage already in the Norfolk magazine. Excitingly Selvedge will be mentioning us in their May edition. We have a really fabulous group of makers signed up for the day. Some new faces and some returning from our first market. I'm really looking forward to this one. If you want to find out more then pop on over to the blog by clicking the link above.

Over Too Soon

Apart from a hideous car boot experience on Sunday morning (something to do with being trapped in a field of escaping cars for an hour in the rain) it's been a sunny, chilled and perfect weekend.

I finally finished off my Granny Blob cushion. I made the back from a piece of felted blanket and blanket stitched all the way around. I had plans to put buttons on the back with proper buttonholes, but after a while with my sewing machine I realised I hadn't a clue how I'd ever done this. I opted for the really quick not bother with it method.

I worked my needle all the way round and finally I had a cushion of colourful blobs. Eldest Bun has her eye on it, but for now it's happy sitting on the Big Kids bed.

Then there were bits of gardening. Now for the record I'm not much of a gardener. I know exactly how I'd like my garden to look, all cottagey with corrugated iron hiding a pile of compost. Homely and real is my thing for a garden. I lack the uuummppphh to ever make this really happen outside so I just dream about swaying hollyhocks, lupins and whatever other names tall flowers have.

Our garden looked seriously unloved. The grass hadn't been cut since last year, weeds, rubbish and broken pots were taking over and then there's the ducks who've moved in and our naughty naughty hens who completely trash the place. But hey ho, I forgive them because their eggs make the most yellow of yellow cake mixes and batters which taste delicious.

My parents came over and joined in with the mending and clearing. The Bun's wheeled the barrow full of mess around and planted seeds of all sorts in their Belfast sink garden. Then we stopped to eat the eclairs I'd made and trust me they tasted so good. No pics as they got eaten quick.

Later on a spot of bike riding, trampolining and Piggy in the Middle before collapsing with a Shandy (beer & lemonade all mixed to make a kiddy beer).

Mr Bun asked me to lock the ladies up in the end, because the more we tidied, the more they wanted to chuck rocks on the lawn and get it back to how they liked it best.

We sat and watched them for a while in our new sunny spot. My dad had mended the bench for us because we're hopelessly impractical at stuff like that. We dragged it up to the top so we can catch the last of the days sun. I might bring my knitting up here tomorrow and chat to the girls and little Molly who's buried right beside.

As we tidied the day away, got stuff ready for Monday, moaned about the weekend being over before we were ready we decided it'd been a good one.

Can I Play too?

I've always liked a challenge, something to get my wonky teeth into. I've been reading Tif's blog and loving her makes, her style of setting up a shot and her general air of life is good (or peachy as she says) for quite a while now. I fancied taking part in her challenge of the utmost kind, but kept dithering. What if we suddenly inherited sackloads of money from an unknown relative; what if the chickens dug up buried treasure ... all those kinds of things that meant spare money would be floating around needing to be spent on new things. But do you know I figured that really isn't going to happen around here so I would just keep on doing what I do and that's making stuff and buying stuff that has been around for a while. To put it nicely it's called handmade, vintage and thrifty living.

So I finally came to the conclusion that I would officially stand up for all that is how I live, take the oath and say yes please Tif I'd like to play too.

Tif got back to me to say course you can be a challenger. So hands up for my pledge to myself " for twelve months ... that's April to April 2011, I'll be buying secondhand, be as thrifty as thrifty can be, be making and a making and buying handmade when I do buy." Exciting really as I like taking stock every now and again and at least being skint has to be more fun when you make it a game.

This morning, before I heard from Tif, I had so many plans. It was my first day off work and being by myself for three weeks so I think I got carried away wanting to do it all in one go. I did get the kitchen chair pads re-covered and even added ties so they don't get used as a dog bed each time they fall off. I love this cherry blossom barkcloth. I've still got a bit left as I cut it from a curtain panel, so I might make some more cushion pads.

I also felt the pull of the charity shops, especially the Cat Home one where the batty lovely lady chats away and makes it even more fun being in there. I casually mentioned coloured needles (there haven't been any around for a while now) and she revealed the hidden stash under the counter. Blackmarket needles - apparently they're very much in demand and not everyone gets to see them. She even laid them out for me to pick the colours I wanted.

A rummage in the wool basket threw up these two balls of 4ply which is just what I need for my Dingle Dangle brooches. Then on the crockery shelves I found some pretty scalloped edge Greendawn plates. They've already been used by three little girls to eat chocolate muffins so they were a necessity I guess.

Can you spot some cut up patchy squares under the glass? Well I did get round to cutting those up for some more cushions I want to cover. I plan to sit in the sun, ignore the weeds and make this weekend.

In the last bit of my day before I became a fully functioning mummy again ,I popped into New Look to spend a £5 voucher I had. I'd already got the blue ring from a charity shop aswell as some t-shirts for the Bun's, but I needed more BliNg. I spent a while deciding on whether to get the pink ring or cream ring. I settled finally on the cream and then the girl at the till said it's buy one get one free on jewellry. Fabulous idea this I thought.

I didn't get to be a great functioning mummy for a while longer though. On the way to school I timed it wrong and so I ended up sitting admiring an enormous herd of cows amble along past my car on the way to be milked. I called the school so no problem there and then I just sat and enjoyed the moment.

It looks like it'll be a great weekend so fingers crossed you all have a great one.
X

Something Fishy

Little Vintage Lover fair was a good day out on Sunday. Three tables were shared out by the lady of Kitschen Pink and myself so we had our own corner of colourful happiness.

Teena as usual had found some good treasure on her wanderings around the Norfolk countryside. I lusted after this fish in a way that was bordering on obsessive. I know some would think yuk you've lost your mind, but then there are those that would say I absolutely must have that fish. I'll race you to it.

My self-control was far too good. I promised myself once I'd made some sales then I'd buy it. It sold before I'd made that decision. I kicked myself hard.

Lesson learnt from this is - however skint you, are if you see something vintage you really really must have then just go and get it. Stop faffing. They're pretty much one offs and you probably won't get a second chance.

Later on I cheered myself up with one of Tracey's felty brooches.

Then this vintage piece of towelling to take the edge of my upset and I was feeling much better. It's now hidden away on the pile until it lets me know what it wants to become.

I had lots of lovely comments on Sunday about my dingle dangle brooch. Quite a few people wanted to know if it was for sale. I've decided to carry on tweaking it a bit more and then I will share the dingle dangle brooches around. I think I'll make them as people want them so they can have the colour flowers that are just so for them.

The bit of time between now and Sunday was spent feeling very poorly indeed with a tummy bug. I was back to feeling like me again today so I had a quick dash around my favourite Wednesday car boot.

I couldn't believe it when hidden at the back of all sorts of do dahs was a pearlised fish. Not as lustworthy as the first, but good enough to keep a disappointed searcher of oddments happy. The Buns gave it the go ahead too with a 'Like the fish mummy' when they got home from school.

So it all ends well with me being the owner of another ugly, but very shiny fish.

99's, Piggies & Donkey

On Friday we headed across creeks on rickety bridges to get a good cold blast of sea air. We hid in a hollow in the sand dunes to eat our picnic which tasted all the better for the crunchy sand sticking to it.

Then it was time for a spot of sunbathing. Handy, Maya and Abi had packed all the essentials and even remembered to weigh the blanket down with a rock or two.

On the way back the Buns bravely ate 99's and we bought a few lollies to keep us going.

Back home and more flowery stuff needed finishing up. All done around a game of Piggy in the Middle and a few hands of Donkey. I was the Donkey both times.

Now this cushion has only got so far as I got distracted yet again.

Do you remember my dangly bell flower brooch? Well a friend of mine has it now. I wanted one to wear at Little Vintage Lover on Sunday so I got working with the needles. So now I'll have a lovely brooch to wear. but I haven't finished half the things I planned to take with me.

After Sunday only one more day left to have fun with my little chums before it's back to school. We did daydream about no more school and taking off wherever we wanted to go. No sensible staying put to be near decent schools, but opting out moving on and filling our land with lots of sheep, goats, donkeys and more besides. And best of all no more ironing school uniforms.

Enjoy your last few days won't you. X

It's a Wool Thing

Do your creative urges go in obsessive waves?

For me there are times when I don't feel stitchy, knitty or anything. It doesn't last long though and then I'm off on my next obsessive burst.

At the moment it's woolly stuff. Hooking it or knitting it up I don't care.

Like my button stash, my fabric stash and my bits and bobs stash there's quite a bit to choose from. A rainbow of different colours and different yarns that all want to become something new and loved.


Underneath my happy shelf is a comfy chair that hides only a part of the woolly pile. There are quite a few bags to choose from back there.

Then there's the stash that's being used at the moment and carted around the house to wherever I sit for a moments pleasure of time with my hook.

Now this one's the bad basket. A beautiful basket overflowing with mittens, scarves and jumpers that got started ...... you know the rest.

Then there's the pouffe (a most marvellous word in itself) that has become my wheelie woolly table. All sorts of flowers and leaves are growing here waiting to be sewn to a cushion, cosy or brooch.

Add to this these few bags pulled from the big cupboard of stash and you might get an idea of how much of a wool thing I have. It's everywhere and no one complains because it makes our world so colourful and just so.

Making Me Happy Right Now

Before I set off on my usual ramble around the happenings in the world of Bobo Bun I wanted to say how I was completely overwhelmed by the generosity and support of your words after the sad news in my last post. Thank you all for taking the time to stop by and offer a bloggy hand of kindness, it was really appreciated. I have tried to get round and say thank you personally, but have only got half way so far.

Now my lovely friend Nina sent us all a little parcel of goodness today. While I was signing for it our postman chatted to Alfie Blue, who then rushed out to try and have a go at one of the villagers dogs. I really enjoyed having to sort out a dog fight in my jammies and with yesterdays make-up on still! What a glamourous sort I am.

Nina made brooches, which the Buns have worn today and cuddled the little owlets inside. I'm saving the choccly for later on tonight.

She also popped in this dear little boat. A real make you happy kind of boat I think.

Next happy is that it's finally getting warm enough to wear my new cardi. A floral bouquet from Tesco no less. I've covered my face as it was still waiting for todays make-up.

I have been hooking away making all sorts of new bits and bobs. There's another Little Vintage Lover fair on Sunday and I need to re-stock the shelves in time. So we have a pot stand in very Noa Noa colours. I got impatient so I started working the back and joining it together at the same time. I love crochet - it just hits the spot perfectly.

A roundy cushion will a yellowy froth edge. Definately have a few flowers added to this one.

One more pot stand and some birdies I've been wanting to try for a while. Really quick and easy actually, but I'm not sure what I'll do with them yet. Lots of ideas, just need to settle on one.

Then there's the final happy things. Mr Bun brought back this lovely tin for me from a friend which was found on the same day as Mr Twiddle. Never heard of Mr Twiddle before or his friends Mr and Mrs Fankle. Think Enid might have been losing her thread by this stage. Gave us a giggle though.

Tomorrow we're off to the Spring Fling - a mini version of the Norfolk Show. Wellies are polished and raincoats on standby for a day of fun, animal oohhing and ahhing and a whole load of stuff besides. Little Bun also wants to celebrate Molly's birthday as the 15th was the date chosen by her when she first came to live with us.

Hope your holiday is happy too.