The Vintage Magpie

These moments...

These are the moments that keep me sane.  The moments when the outside world is shut away, the hard parts of the day are behind us and we can spend some time together, lost in a book.  Making up different voices, taking turns in reading and escaping into Roald Dahl's collection.

The happiest times of our day.

Everyone loves story time.

x

Peaceful Planting

Today, after a very, very hectic weekend involving exhibitions, broken down cars and relatives visiting, school presentations and general chaos, my dad and I took ourselves off to take a deep breath in, calm our shattered nerves, and find a little bit of peace and quiet.  And we found it. 

In a garden centre!

Except this garden centre at Trago Mills, Newton Abbot, has built an array of gardens to show off different styles of planting... so we spent the afternoon having coffee and pottering round.    This plot was called the Environmental Garden and out of all of them had to be my favourite.  Hickledy pickledy and rambling (close to my heart!), made on a budget with local finds from the reclaimation yard... cottage garden plants were thriving in an old tin bath, a belfast sink and worn out tyres and an old bicycle was used to trail plants around.... so beautiful.

Then there was the Devon garden... the thatched cottage and beautiful cottage plants..

by the little clapper bridge and stream.  Oh, be still my beating heart.

Then the Railway Children's Garden complete with a little cabin and of course..

a steam train!

beautifully planted with a mixture of vegetables and cottage garden plants and a white picket fence!

Then Canal Path gardens... complete with canal boat with beautifully planted window boxes on the roof, alongside..

a row of quaint individually planted little front gardens...

and last but not least,

the Cornish Beach garden, complete with Cornish boat!

They were all so inspiring, and to round the day off my dad bought me something rather special ....

 

The most beautifully scented climbing rose named Shogun, to travel up the side of my house and entwine itself in the wisteria.... 

Take a deep breath in ... can you smell it?!!

Have a good week everyone xx

Circus Elephant

It's been a crazy few days for elephants... this guy, who was going into my Etsy shop today, has already been adopted before he made it to the shop... thank you Kathleen x

But I have just managed to finish another Circus Elephant... and here he is...

He's a real little sweetheart!

Made from softest baby blue mohair he has been newly made by me and then aged to give him a well worn appearance!

He has baby blue polka dot fabric inside his ears which has also been aged, and he wears a handmade trousersuit, with a vintage linen button, which I have distressed to make it look like it has seen better days!

 
He also wears a little vintage circus tag to give him a story!

  

This gorgeous lil' guy is looking for a new home, and is waiting with everything crossed in my little Etsy shop!

Have a great weekend everyone! xx

Midsummer Exhibition Launch

The excitement is mounting at Seale Hayne, in the run up to Friday's Midsummer Gallery Launch Party.

Beautiful pieces of art are popping up all over the place!

There will be Pimms on the lawn from 6.30 pm til dusk...

A chance to meet the artists and see all the new artwork..

which is absolutely beautiful.

So here's your invitation... if you can make it I would love to see you there!  Click here for directions.

Meanwhile, I am frantically busy trying to get a whole batch of bears into the gallery in time for the opening...

and a little circus elephant, who will be in my Etsy shop and looking for a new home on Friday.

See you then!  xx

 

The Circus

I've always had mixed feelings about the circus, but I can't help but love the 1920s Barnum & Bailey Circus posters.

The colours, the typeset the images... I just love them.

The whole atmosphere they evoke. 

the images are amazing...

The Greatest Show on Earth... mmmm - not sure about that because of the animals - but certainly darn good posters!!

Have a great week everyone!

 

xx

Good Read ...

I don't know why, but I didn't have any interest in reading this book.  Not that I even really knew what it was about.... I think maybe because almost everyone I knew had read this book.... I'm not sure.

Anyway, it was chosen at bookclub, so I was destined to read it.

And I absolutely loved it!  I can't tell you what its about if you haven't read it, as it would spoil it (even the blurb on the back of the book doesn't given anything anyway).  Suffice to say its about a young boy and Auschwitz.  The twist at the end left me reeling for days! 

If you haven't read it.... grab a copy, get yourself a comfy chair, a cup of tea and get reading! 

Have a great weekend everyone xxx

Miss Peggy

Miss Peggy is the sweetest thing...

Made from the softest mohair, with her tummy sprinkled with dried lavender she is perfect for a squeeze and cuddle!

 

She is now sitting in my Etsy shop crossing her fingers and toes that she will be off to a new home very soon!

 

ADOPTED, thank you xx

The Sleepover

Sleepovers are all the rage in this house (with three children this means lots of sleepovers).  And last week it was our dog, Woody's turn !

  

Woody has several champions in his lineage and is quite the sort after working cocker Dad.  So he had a 'friend' to stay for several days last week.

However, being the 'new kid on the block' meant that Tia got quite a bit of attention...

and, once the excitement had worn off,  it all got a bit too much as these things do,  ... hence the 'is she still here?' look I was being thrown when this photo was taken!

Ahhhh, young love!  Tia was such a gorgeous girl...

And speaking of gorgeous girls...

This gorgeous girl will soon be making an appearance in my Etsy shop!

See you Friday xx

 

Happy Things

I ordered this postcard from the lovely Here My Dear, and I love it... Its going on my wall when I get to my studio today!

I had a 'week off' last week, a week off of working and a week of focusing on the household, ... getting it back together after half term, sorting clothes, doing laundry, paying bills blah blah, and a nice bit of much needed rest in between.  I do feel much better for it now, and ready to roll again so all is good.

And this week I shall Expect Good Things!

Have a good week everyone x

Open Farm Sunday

 

It's that time again folks!   It's Open Farm Sunday this weekend, a chance to have a look around your local farms and see what they get up to!  It's an annual event  that gives everyone the chance to meet the farmers who grow their food and care for the countryside.  Click on the link above to find a farm near you that is part of the event.

We can't wait.... last year was a glorious day and we had a wonderful time at Pizwell Farm.  Not sure which farm we are heading to yet this Sunday, but we will be sure to hunt one (maybe more) down!

If you get the chance, check out a farm near you,  it's a wonderful day out. x