Avoiding the rain showers!

Looking out on the garden I can see it's just loving all that rain. But I would love to be able to sit outside and enjoy the blooms. June has ended up being the wettest month ever recorded. There is no doubt that the garden is flourishing though.

But while sitting here enjoying the view I decided I might venture out in the few sunny moments to take some pictures. But felt I was being looked at.

This bull looked pretty powerful, especially when I had is undivided attention,:))))

Arrrghh he's just after a tasty leaf or two.

The garden has an abundance of blooms.

I love the Roses.

I love these for baskets.
Notice how they all seem to be PINK :)

Here is the finished Matchbox for the swap I took part in - see flikr.

It was sent to serendipity-werx - hope she got it ok.

Fabulous Friday - I just gotta tell!!

I have just had the most fabulous FRIDAY !!!

First I visited my friend Niki http://nostalgia-stonehouse.co.uk/ . She had organised a Vintage Sale and I was determined to get to it!!

I left early with my teenage daughter and it took us about 2 hours to get there, traffic was good and I had a good old chat with my daughter along the way. One to one without everyone else in the family wanting to chip in, it was great!

Lovely Niki greeted us at the gate and showed us where everything was, as soon as I saw her lovely redecorated kitchen with the new wallpaper that she blogged a couple of months ago I just swooned - I was in the actual picture that I had admired so much - pure heaven.

SOO much inspiration! Her wonderful mum made tea for us and offered gorgeous cake and cookies.

There were plenty of pretty places to stop for refreshments and enjoy the garden.
But there was a lot to do ...... so I took my tea with me:))

Niki put out a great display and tucked away under the house was an Aladdin's cave of goodies. You can just see the chair I purchased in the background of this picture, there was some great furniture and I would have taken more home with me if I had the space. Niki's hubby was really helpful lugging furniture and directing traffic in awkward spots ie. ME ...:)

thank yooooou:o)

Anyway after the furniture came Aladdin's cave. take a closer lookIt's difficult to see from this picture, but tucked away in the back was this gorgeous wall pocket. I found it on my very last visit back into Aladdin's cave . I am so glad I went back.

I nearly bought one of those beautiful books......... but ..... I didn't:))) Some things could so easily have been missed , I was curious by this little blue box?Inside was this lovely little set of bridge cards and mini pencils,

here are some more lovely things that I purchased.

After Niki's we went off to explore the City of Bath, lots of holiday makers, many from the US enjoying the history of the place. The atmosphere was lovely and each time I go there I find different shops. We had such a fab day. But now we have a great place to park and we will return, map in hand.

Thank you Niki and your family for putting on such a great sale.

Presenting Princess Pretty Petals Tiara

Word spread throughout the land that a TIARA was to be created for Princess Pretty Petals.

All the courtiers and jewellers gathered together to make sure this was a tiara fit for Royalty.

The rarest jewels were chosen, the finest textiles from France and the finest chandelier dismantled

..........oops........ stop the flowery music, (sound of smashing glass) don't tell anyone or it'll

be " off with er ed!!"

Thank you to Hollydoodle Designs for coming up with this swap, it was a great idea and has allowed all of us taking part to escape into a land of fantasy - eat your heart out Cinderella -we are all going to the Ball:))

My daughter has a prom to attend in a couple of weeks -I offered my tiara but she said

'NO WAY' ... some Cinderella's just don't know they're born.

Go see the fun on flickr - The Crown and Tiara swap group .

Hope I got it right for you Heather.:))

Regal Art - Tiara inspiration

I've been thinking regal thoughts these last couple of weeks, preparing myself for the tiara swap

Looking for inspiration I took out a large collection of my books on the Royal family. A collection that has amassed thanks to my late mother-in-law who had been following the family all her life and was a huge fan.

She loved the Queen and particularly the Queen Mother as we all did.

She kept alsorts of memorabilia and because she was a wren (they don't exist anymore) in the Royal Navy her path crossed with Royalty many times.

I even had a brief encounter with her when as an 11 year old I went on a school trip with the our head mistress she was a nun (imagine Miss Marple in a nun outfit:)))) -

25 busy body girls in silly school hats and big white labels with our names on (we were so embarrassed). Off we went to London to see the crown jewels, talk to Beefeater's, and visit Earls Court to watch lots of pageantry, fancy riding and events including a gun run by the Navy, where upon 2 teams of healthy young men race each other and run with these huge canons over obstacles, lots of noise, sweat but no swearing .... ooo nooooo.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

At the end of the show we were all lined up and the Queen Mother gave us an elegant smile and a delicate wave and off she went in her car. She was dressed in vivid pink and the photograph that I took just came out as a big blob of pink blur. I kept that photo of a pink blob for years telling everyone it was the Queen Mother ... ..

I could see her :)))))

Anyway back to thoughts of Tiara's

Well I have completed my Tiara now and tempting as it is I won't show it just yet but here is how my floor looks right now.

OK OK just a peek then.

A Vintage Gardeners Paradise

Garden lovers from all around gathered at this beautiful Country Estate today to visit a Garden Fair. Its a gorgeous place and is actually only up the road, a road runs through it and I regularly drive past and have even cycled all around the estate and walked through the forest.

For this gorgeous place is literally a stones through away.....if only I lived here:(

As we set off for the fair .... in our car.... well I might want to bring something big home with me:) .....my hubby started to metamorphose in to a moaning minnie.

It was quite clear from the top of our road that the que was in fact for the fair. Yes we could have walked there quicker, yes there are some impatient drivers and yes that man nearly caused an accident just there right in front of us..... grrrrrrr.

We eventually got in and parked and were greeted by the sound of these lovely men playing old time music in there striped jackets and bowlers.

There were some great displays, a mixture of garden plants, decorative items for the garden , crafts and a great food tent with many organic businesses plying there trade. I bought these luscious bunch of fresh garlic from the south of FranceLook at this fella, he would be great at the bottom of my garden.

There seemed to be a lot more vintage and antique garden tools and decorative items this year.I love these rusty old chairs, and there were some great tools around too.This is what I bought home with me. Firstly a large vintage french wired basket - really sturdy ( I loved this seller - he was from France and had loads of antique beauties for the house and garden.) I am going to make a slipcover for this and use it as a big bin in my work room.
I also bought another lovely basket which will house flowers, a lovely pie for lunch, a jar of organic pesto, and in this blue bag full of goodies. Yes there was a stall selling all manner of french haberdashery, I was in heaven and could not believe my luck, she had fabrics, ribbons, lace, millinery YES lots of it, and even vintage cotton reels, fabric boxes and vintage seed packets.

But aware that moaning minnie was close by I left the seed packets .... they would have been great for collage.....

The colour of these vintage velvet hat millinery is gorrrrrrrrgeoussssssss!
And look at this silk ribbon with the fluffy trim.

Parked in all its glory - an old Chevrolet, what a beauty!

and on this final note .....

HAPPY GARDENING FOLKS!

Images of a Bygone Era

I feel like I have been away for ages and it is time to post before I am forgotten about.

The truth is I have had a lack of enthusiasm for everything these last couple of weeks. Is it the weather? I just don't know, I can only think that the good weather we have had these last couple of days has prompted a mere spark of energy.

OH WOE IS ME!!! yes LOL... I feel all dramatic and thespian like, the worlds a stage 'n' all that.

Well anyway back to business. We have been quite busy in our garden just lately, rain 'n' all!

We have been buying lots of flowers for the pots and hanging baskets and will be replacing the deck with a better quality decking and buying some new chairs and a garden umbrella.

I wanted to buy a disgustingly expensive umbrella in beautiful fabric from Kate Forman, Isn't it gorgeous .... but was talked out of it, and I agree on this occasion that there are some things that can't be justified... instead I plan to buy a large cream one from the local garden centre and to get my floral fix will be attaching a frill or bunting in a favourite fabric around the edge and make some new cushions for the chairs. I'm not ready with pics for it but watch this space:)

Just lately I have purchased some gorgeous cards on ebay and on opening one of the packs was completely taken aback by this card. Firstly is was so delicately pretty with an embossed medallion in the middle

that opens like a locket to reveal a glamorous lady within, and then a beautiful verse
Because you are so dear a girl, devoted sweet and true, my anniversary greeting brings a world of love to you
And every wish I'm sending , Is for all the joys in life, to fill the years with sunshine for my Sweetheart and my Wife!

It actually bought a sentimental tear to my eye. Ralph went to a lot of trouble to find that beautiful card for his wife. I wonder what happened to them.

I've bought many vintage/antique cards and photo's over the years, and often wondered about the people that once owned these cards and the era they came from. These particular photographs are as interesting on the back as the front.

These particular pictures came from this album below found at a car boot sale, look at the fab clasp and the gold edged paper.

And look at the heavy card pages within

I asked the seller if the album and pictures were from her family and they were!

The lady said the album came from a Great Aunt who had since departed, and that the pictures had no meaning to them. Oh well we can't hold on to everything and at least they went to a good home and all for £5.00.

I thought some fabric might look quite nice behind some of these frames and then displayed in groups of 4. My only problem is actually taking the album to pieces ..... I don't know if I can do that... hmmm.

Well back to present day, I have a couple of thank you's to make and they go to Flea market Studio - thank you for the great pack of fabrics and goodies including the gorgeous blue bird
And of course Nicky from -

http://nostalgia-stonehouse.co.uk/ - I'm always stopping by to shop - I just can't keep away. This is just pure eye candy for me and she even included a bluebird - which I adore-

thank you!

And more eye candy comes in the shape of this button below for a Tiara Swap being hosted by Hollydoodle Designs - see her link on the side bar.
I can't wait to start this project - Twinkle is expected so Twinkle it will be!