Partied Out

Pink candy striped party bags were filled with goodies on Saturday. Only a few calm moments before Eldest Bun's 9th birthday party got into full swing and then it went by in a blur with Mr Bun and I racing around entertaining twelve girls. Such a blur that these are the only photos I managed to take. I'm afraid you'll have to believe me when I say the pink iced buns and marshmallows covered in chocolate and 100's and 1,000's looked and were delicious. The sun shone and they partied in full swing outside.

Then there was the brownie pile cake. Always a good idea when you really don't feel inspired for making another birthday cake and hey, as it's a brownie they're already cut up for wrapping and popping into party bags.

I can't believe how truly exhausted I've been this week. Once the party gifts were opened I laid back and thought - oh just for a moment - as I shut my eyes and slept for a full half hour. Only elderly ladies (and now you can add crumpled mummies to the list) do that in the afternoon. Quite a good ruse really though as I woke to a clean home and Bun's happily playing. Bliss. Must have twelve girls round more often.

Catching Time

What a week so far. I feel as I've fitted a fortnight into four days and I feel exhausted already. Pheeeewww.

Summer feet have been replaced by these wintery ones which have to rush out of the door every morning. No more lazily lounging and planning what to do for the rest of the day for a while.

I got together with Teena this week to bash out more of the details of the Pick 'n' Mix Makers Market. Before we got our heads down to being worklike she gave me this gorgeous milky green bowl and some vintage Happy Families for my sale labels. She had actually given me this lovely bowl in the summer, but in my usual way I rushed home without it. I always forget something where ever I go.

I've also been dashing to the charity shops and the Wednesday car boot to re-stock. I have a fair at Woodbridge at the end of the month and then quite a few over Christmas. This will be the dead period when the world of carboot slumbers.

I found more coloured knitting needles with a pair of blue floral curtains. Not so very nice fabric, possibly flammable (soon to be tested), but such a lovely pattern and for 50p only.

Coloured glass is my favourite and always looks so pretty on my stall. I love a mix of colours that catch the sunlight and sparkle together. In the CS I was lucky enough to find two jugs in a clear blue green that is the best of all coloured glass colours. Today I found the pale pink fruit bowls and plates, along with a delicious minty green blanket. I'm still undecided whether to use it for a project or hot wash it and use it for winter snuggling. I'm erring towards the latter, it really is very lovely (and I forgot to take a picture so you'll just have to believe me).

I couldn't resist these birdie glasses from the car boot. I declined the matching jug as it was unpleasant. A word that some might use to describe the glasses. For me, however, they are cheeriness itself.

The extra tiring part of this week has been this lady. We had a few people booked in to to come and see her and so I was cleaning her and doing general stuff to get her running. All late at night after everything else had been done. Now she has impressed someone with her elderly charms and late last night vrroom vrrommed off into the darkness.

Then today we celebrated Alfie Blue's 3rd birthday. The Bun's handed him their homemade cards and his bone present which has been skittered over all the floors. My parents were here and it was a lovely sight to see so many mad people singing happy birthday to a much loved little dog.

Just a party to bake and prepare for and another one to attend the day after that. Phheewww.

So Stitchy

Two Bun's have been delivered back to school and the house is horribly quiet. I have so much to do here and yet I want to go out and find some noise. It's a strange adjustment getting used to having them around all the time and then making the same adjustment back to being without them. When they return home I'll probably be thinking roll on bedtime for some peace. That's just how fickle a mother I am.

I've started making the bunting needed for the garden this weekend. It's Eldest Bun's birthday party on Saturday. We had to put it back a week and now I'm glad we did as I have had little party inspiration of late. She fancies the gazebo in the garden all bunting festooned. games and nail painting. Hopefully we'll get some of that blue sky, no wind, no rain kind of weather back again. This is a big hopefully as 12 girls will make it a bit of a squash and a squeeze in our cottage.

For now the first lot of bunting has been draped over the kitchen dresser and I like it there.

I also liked the reflections and distortions that came from looking at what is hidden within. The one and only jug cover to be made by me. This was on a 1.25mm hook using fairies breath (or so it seemed as the yarn was so fine). Needless to say it took weeks to make.

As the party girl always has presents to open from her friends we have always given the other Bun a gift or two from us. I think it must be hard watching someone open present after present and get nothing when you're only little. I started making a little pocket sized embroidered dolly for little Bun. It has taken me four evenings to get this far with the hair and I still need to do the back. Such tiny tiny stitches on and on. Relaxing - yes. Speedy - No.



I was quite pleased with the face so far until I took this picture of the original design. I didn't bother photocopying it to make a transfer. I chose to draw it on the linen freehand and now I really wish I hadn't as I much prefer the original face. I've gone off mine, but too late to start all those stitches over again.

I took these photos on my patchy chair cover and took a couple of shots of some of the more unusual fabrics. For centuries fabric has been saved and re-worked into something else. Here it's a mix of children's flannelette bedding and more grown-up curtains.

There are some bits that are fraying again so I'd better get my needle out and start repairs.

History & Pizza

Yesterday we wanted to grab the last minutes of the summer holidays before the Bun's and I go back to everyday routines again. I hate the feeling of having to grab time again rather than it lazily stretching out before us. The knowledge that if we don't do something today then never mind we'll do it tomorrow has gone for another summer.

We all agreed that a trip to Pizza Express with dollops of history thrown in would be a good choice. We parked on the far side of the city and followed the river in so Mr Bun and I could show them hidden places and how time has changed the city. We started at a Victorian Water Plant and off we went towards Bullard's Brewery which is no longer in business.

We passed this building covered all over with Thomas Paine's The Rights of Man. From a distance it looks like the pigeons have been busy.

In the middle of flats and car parking is the Bullard brewery well dated 1578. When you scratch about it's great to find bits of history in the oddest places.

Now our tummies were rumbling so we headed off to St Benedicts for pizza. Along this road are four maybe five churches all within shouting distance of one another.

I didn't think you would want to see our delicious pizza's and they didn't stay on the plates for long anyway. While we ate we decided we wanted to visit Strangers Hall, a Merchants House which is now a museum set out as a home of differing periods. I find it a very creepy place even though it's interesting to see.

This is the open courtyard that you enter by and then up the steps where the Bun family are waiting.

For the first time we could see the knot garden which was a treat.

I didn't take any pictures of the rooms as most have dark wood panelling with small leaded windows. As I couldn't use a flash the pictures would have been dreadful.

I did take a few of the exhibits which weren't so gloomy. I could have happily put my hand in the cases and taken a few of the toys.

Having married an M.Smith (different name now though as he merged with mine) we loved this teapot.

Out of the kitchens and just before the undercroft was a room storing all sorts of old shop signs.

An Eagle for the bank.


The ram for insurance.


Golden balls for the pawnbrokers.


This one's pretty obvious.

When we got to the last staircase I stood waiting for Mr Bun. The Bun's had raced off ahead so I was on my own and it was freezing, so I moved. Mr Bun has worked with the curator before and she had told him a tale that involved her in that same spot it turned out. It was creepy enough for me to think it might be time to get back in the C21st again.

Now the fun is over and it's the last day before my little gang leave me to work on my own again. We've sorted pencil cases, just need to label everything and bake some buns for lunchboxes and I think we are there.

Blogging Nine Months On

On January 2nd of this year I started blogging and unbelievably I am now writing my 101st post (I know I missed the 100th yesterday with all the post birthday business). I have 72 wonderful followers and I am just short of having had 15,000 visitors so someone out there seems to be reading and following all of my waffle. I can't tell you how thrilled I am that you are reading and enjoying as I love reading your comments and then being able to visit your blogs in return.

I had no idea how much fun all of this would be when I jumped in. It has served as an online journal; it's greatly improved my slapdash photography skills; I'm much more focused in my creativity as I feel someone out there is watching and will give me some really helpful feedback and lastly something that I never envisaged would happen from this blogging lark - I've made some great friends. One is a flesh and blood friend and the others for now are written word friends, but you never know one day on our travels.

Two days after writing my first post I set up my etsy shop. Well didn't she keep quiet about that one I hear you say. Exactly, because all I did was sign up and then left it there while I set up lots of other projects and enjoyed being a mummy. However, today, I have actually put some lovely things for sale in my etsy shop. So now it's a proper etsy shop that sells things not white space. Please pop over and have a look. I'd love to hear what you think.

Another Year Gone By

Yesterday we celebrated Eldest Bun's 9th birthday and her last year in single figures. We had a fantastic day at one of our favourite places, an eccentric steam museum. We rode the trains, the gallopers and dodged on the 1950's dodgems. It's more than that though as it has magical gardens and the crowning glory - a Dad'd Army Museum. We played in all the Walmington on Sea shops which were laid out. Happy Birthday was sung from the stage in the church hall and the piano played badly. It makes us feel content and happy everytime we go in the knowledge that the British are a bit barmy really.

As Mr Bun has taken his first holiday of the summer over this weekend I had a break from blogging and didn't even take my camera out on the woodland walks and beach trips we went on.

So I'm back again for the last few days of the summer holidays and thought you might like to see a couple of the presents I made for Eldest Bun.

I filled the little make-up bag with silver, pink and orange nail varnish - plus some nail sparklies. She loves the bag and little Bun has ordered one too now.

Mr Chumley her chubby bear proved a great model for the beret. With Eldest Bun's blonde bob this just looks stunning on. I really enjoyed making this with the grape effect bobbles. I did finish the plummy coloured one, but the merino wool was too tight and it ended up a beenie hat. So next time I must remember to use a larger hook when playing about with different wools.

Sorry about the early morning bleached light in this picture, but you can see how great the teal is in the other ones.

Just to jolly it up even more I made a large crochet flower and turned it into a brooch so Eldest Bun can wear it off or on.

Now I'm making a few of these up for us all to share as different brooches. I've used a Debbie Bliss cotton which is more intense in colour and tougher when worked up than Rowan cotton. I might even get a moment to make a few more today as Little Bun is off to a friends and Eldest Bun has a friend coming here. So I'll only be needed as a meal maker today.

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.