Curious

I love this new fabric range by artist-designer Emily Sutton for St Jude’s, it is another beautiful feather in the cap of their amazing fabric collection.

Inspired by the relics of a bygone era and afternoons immersed in the contents of the Museum of Childhood in Edinburgh, Emily recently graduated from the Edinburgh College of Art and combines her love of drawing, painting and crafting in her work. The fabrics will be available from tomorrow.


All images St Judes

A spot of lunch

Just preparing lunch before I brave the outside world, a world which today is filled with plumes of smoke from the remains of our smouldering Pier after some swines set it alight last night. I need to find an outfit that won't mind soaking up the miserable smoke and ash. Meanwhile as I muster the will to leave, I am cheering myself up with a 1920's film day, a tonne of sequinned headdresses and feathers and flower garlands to lift my dampened spirits.

I thought I would also share a picture of my living room as it looks this morning, the swan it seems has been to busy to tidy. But I've not been idling, I spent the morning listing a final few sets of photographs in my Etsy shop. and the lounge will be ship shape later.

Something Shiny for thursday

Adore these F-Scott Fitzgerald book jackets by senior cover designer at Penguin Books Coralie Bickford-Smith found via 100 Layer Cake. Adds a new flourish to one of my favourite books-The Great Gatsby, I can't wait to get a copy or maybe the whole set.

trimmings and sparkles

Kits containing all the trimmings and sparkles to create pretty keepsake letters and a floaty hanging mobile made with vintage jewellery, just a couple of things from my latest shop update.

Pictures and pastimes

Things to look at, things to send and things to get you started on a new project.

Shop update.

Wreaths and wishes

Happy Monday everyone I hope your weekend was filled with sunshine and happiness. My husband has been away again at a trade show in Taiwan so I have actually been back in my work room, getting the feel for making a few more things as its only two more weeks until I drop a day at the bank. Hooray! Some tiny blossom adorned wreaths have been added to the shop to bring the first days of spring ever closer to home.

Ps I was featured in April's issue of Company Magazine and I would love for you to vote for my blog in the poll over at their site.

Early morning sunshine

A run of good weather and early morning sunshine has put a spring in my step and I am finally getting around to listing the wreaths I made over at Etsy. I have a few more to finish and will share some more pictures soon.

Paper trail

Up early to add a few new paper garlands to the shop before I head out, I have the day off today and after a week of bitter cold but sunny days today of course is grey grey grey. Although there is a tiny crack in the clouds a seam of light which makes me hopeful. Maybe I will meet my friend and be able to drink my coffee outside?

High tea

Finally clawing my way out of the winter darkness. Making new garlands for my first spring shop listings. I picked up some vintage tea plates and classic tea time treats which brightened my day no end.

Spent a whole lovely Sunday with my husband after he returned from two weeks in Hawaii. So even though it's still dismal and grey outdoors, everything is pretty and pastel coloured indoors as we make our way in to a new week.

Wishing you some brightness and colour for this last week of January

December things

Best of today

Opening another door of our advent calendar
Photographing and packaging the last few garlands I will make for a while.
Finding time to read magazines.
Unwrapping next years calendar from Kitty Rogers

The first snowflakes

Still getting the most out of the roses from last weeks party and making some delicate snowflake garlands from doilies for a shop update.

How has your weekend been?

where I have been

I am taking five minutes before I am swept off on a friends birthday day of fun, to pop in and say hello. I have missed being here but just have no time at the moment.

I have been . . . .

Sending packages
receiving parcels
baking
tidying
making garlands
guest posting
eating salt butter caramels
visiting friends
watching "The September issue"
and "La vie en rose"
household stuff
back to work
I feel there is so much more to the list, but I think you understand.

My days have been so full and I will be back soon, when I get the time I promise to answer some of the questions that are left in your comments, which I so cherish, but I seem to get swept along and hardly ever reply. Just know that I read each one and am so glad that you visit me here.

I must say a super huge thank you to Holly for her extra lovely post about my blogs and I. To hear such words written about yourself can be quite overwhelming, and I can't tell you how thrilled I am. Thank you again Holly!

Inner elf

Up early and that happy sun is up and looks to last a few hours so I must get out and take some pictures for an article I am writing. I have also added a few new garlands to the shop.
I suppose I should start adding some more festive items. I really don't like to think about christmas until at least mid November and with that fast approaching and the postal situation over here I guess its time. I am quite against the shops stocking their shelves with mince pies and christmas crackers in September, but all my magazines this month are getting geared up for the season of red and gold and then "Home alone' or some other festive film will be on TV and my inner elf can't be contained, I love snow, wrapping presents making yummy treats for family and friends, decorations.

Christmas spirit is potent stuff, so I will rein it in, still only November 4th. I think I will just do a tiny collection. Some festive garlands and wreaths.

Getting there

Finally I am getting around to listing some of my favourite photo prints in the shop it seems that after the hiatus of Summer, Autumn is the season that gets me inspired to get on with the things I have been procrastinating about for months.
The half finished and barely started are all getting completed now. Must be those darkening evenings and chilly winds whipping around the streets that keep me indoors sipping earl grey and sorting out my creative life.
Whatever it is I am super happy to be tying up so many loose ends. I have a bad habit of letting inspiration take over and moving too swiftly on to the next project leaving others half done.

Maybe the urgency comes from having to make better use of the lessening hours of light, this is the one aspect of Winter that I really don't like. Leaving for work in the dingy half light and returning home in the dark. My chance of taking photos limited to lunch hours and days off. So as you can imagine I am so excited to be having two weeks holiday very soon.

Happy Monday everyone.