D for daisy

My ABC has not got off to a good start! I have skipped to D as I keep coming across daisies at the moment. Enamel daisy brooches with Figgjo Flint skillett and salt and pepper set, vintage lace daisy samples and bright and bold 70s tea towel bought in Brick Lane on Sunday.

spring colours

I love the spring colours of these 60s plastic egg cups and I keep finding them (we'll never eat this many eggs!) Six more came from the bootsale yesterday along with some pretty 50s enameled metal daisy brooches. 

pure and simple

It's very easy to overlook the glassware shelf in the charity shops but I have been keeping my eye on them just lately and these are just of a few of my latest finds. I love the big glass apple and the hyacinth vases, there's something magical about seeing the roots and the sturdy little shoot, reminds me that spring is on it's way.

It's my sisters birthday today so one hyacinth is for her along with a very pretty engraved bottle, some old sheets of stick on numbers and a length of vintage ribbon which I made into a peg dolly with a button hat. A funny old collection but I know it's all just her sort of thing - hope she doesn't see this before I see her!

folkdance

More snow today so I spent the morning printing up some Folkdance cushion panels. The design is inspired by the traditional art of Polish paper cutting. There was a lovely exhibition of paper cuts at our local museum last year and I took a one day course run by an amazing Polish lady who used sheep shears to cut the most intricate designs, I ended up with a lot of tiny snips of paper and blisters on my thumbs, will stick to printing I think. The cushions are available from my website or my Etsy shop.

january blues

Apologies for not writing anything of interest! I am holed up doing my accounts for my tax return due at the end of the month. Still cold here and as we are high up in SE london still snowy. Although very pretty it's getting a bit boring! Thought I'd cheer myself up with a picture of our favourite beach bar on our local kite surfing beach in Spain - happy days!

snowmanship

We are still snowed under here in London and the schools were closed today. I'm sure my two should have been revising for exams but who would when there are snowcats to be made!

A for apple

After a busy Christmas I am hoping to slow down a bit and spend the next couple of weeks working on some new designs for 2010. As London is once again stranded in thick snow, inside is the best place to be! Looking for inspiration around my home and studio I realise that I have enough bits and pieces to make an entire alphabet which is what I will be doing every now and then over the next few months. Starting with A for apple, a beautiful chunky apple platter by Arabia Finland from Greenwich market, a lovely simple sixties table cloth in apple green and grey from a boot sale and The Story of William Tell, a childrens's book from the sixties with wonderful illustrations by Aliki. 

happy new year!