Used, abused, breakable and irresistible....

Last weekend seemed to be all about buying china which is something I try not to do, mainly because it is too easy to break and I am not very careful.   But sometimes things sit on a stall and shout 'buy me' as you pass by so, being weak of will, I do.  Here are some of last weekend's purchases ...

Now, the reason some of this was so persuasive is the painting ...

Two Victorian bread plates, both with the same design but painted by different artists.

 A bon bon dish ...

 A dressing table set tray. ...

Lovely things painted by clever people.

I have a table in the courtyard at Farnham Maltings monthly market  tomorrow which I have never done before.  I'll let you know how it goes.  

Is 8.30pm too early for a grown woman to go to bed?

It is 21 years since I worked full time.  Ok, I'll revise that.  It is 21 years since I worked in full time paid employment.  I am now three weeks into the new job and last night I had to go to bed at 8.30 because I was so exhausted.  I know that eventually things will settle down and I won't feel as 'one who, picking daisies on the railway, has just caught the Down Express in the small of the back' (Wodehouse).  Once the sprogs leave this weekend things will be much easier:  my kitchen will look the same in the morning as it did after I tidied the night before, the fridge will not be empty one day after I go to Sainsburys, the washing basket will not overflow every by Friday night.  I have always admired women who have children and work full time but now I believe that they must have some super-human gene which passed me by.

Anyway, that is why my blog has been neglected but I really want to show you the things I bought last weekend.  Redroofs at Oldfield has been a B&B for the last fifteen years.  It is a beautiful Edwardian house on the banks of the Thames;  steep, sloping, red-tiled roofs, deep bay leaded windows, a central two story hall bigger than many new houses with a galleried landing, oak stair case, garden sloping down to the river, and many more wonders.  Sandy furnished and ornamented the house and garden with lovingly chosen antique and vintage items with each room having a flower theme - roses, forget-me-not, lily, bluebell and so on.   I have, over the years, painted many signs for her;  room names, 'private', 'dining room', 'car park' and various wedding party signs are just some of the ones I remember.  She and Colin are leaving Redroofs and moving to a smaller, but no doubt just as lovely, house so last Saturday they had the house sale from Heaven.  I bought a two violet jugs, a splendid vintage painted papier mache tray, a chocolate box and a set of brushes. I would have bought much more but my arms were full and my hands were not quick enough.

The bag handles I bought ages ago at Shepton Flea but I had forgotten them.  I believe I've complained about my memory before - last week I made a pot of tea thinking 'I'll take a cup upstairs, do my face and then go to work'.  Half way up the stairs I looked down at my cup of tea to discover that it contained only the milk.

Having been inspired by the violet jugs I decided to paint the very plain bag handles with violets and then I added some to the brushes as well.

Hope you've enjoyed this post because I don't know when I'll be back.  I need to sleep too much!

Knitted Gardens and the antidote to Ikea ....

Every week I treat myself to a read around of my favourite blogs some, but by no means all, of which are listed in my Much Visited Blogs list.  This morning's read turned up a cracking post of 6th September from Attic 24 all about the knitted garden project from bloomingmarvellous1.  The group have knitted cottage garden borders brimming with blooms, hanging baskets,  trailing vines, sunflowers taller than a person, a pond complete with frogs,  a picnic, sacks of vegetables and boxes of fruit,  birds and animals, tools and beehive.  It goes on and on and is just the sort of quirky project that's guaranteed to make a girl smile.  Which is just as well because after breakfast I had to take Big Girl and Youngest Child to Ikea on a pre-university shopping trip.  Only Son didn't come but kindly let me write a list of things he would need and take it with me so that I could do his shopping for him. 

Now, if you are reading this blog you are probably not a great fan of Ikea.  I'm certainly not although I recognise that it does have it's uses, especially in the going-into-a-shared-house or moving-into-selfcatering-halls situation in which my offspring find themselves.  When I got back I decided to do some painting to calm my nerves.  My suggested antidote to Ikea is a little bit of ....

My mother's advice ....

Some of my mother's advice has been very useful -  'Look up, speak nicely, and don't twiddle your fingers all the time';  'Curtsey while you`re thinking what to say, it saves time'; and 'Speak in French when you can't think of the English for a thing -- turn out your toes as you walk -- and remember who you are!'  Ok, that was the Red Queen, but she and my mother have a lot in common.  Anyway, a few weeks ago my mother was out and about generally spending my inheritance when she visited an English Heritage property and saw this little knitted dragon. She called me to tell me that I had to knit a dragon as it would 'go so nicely with the knitted gargoyles, dear'.  I like dragons and gryphons and gargoyles and have quite a few around the garden in shady corners ....

on the roof ...

on the back patio ...

guarding the gateway ...

thinking quietly ....

and pulling faces at visitors ....

Alan Dart, of course, does a dragon but it wasn't quite what I wanted. Then there is this quite wonderful creation and this splendid one.  But, as ever, nothing was exactly right so I sat down and came up with my own pattern ...

He still needs a little work - those legs are not as I want them.  He looks as though he's just landed too heavily following a tiring flight on a stomach full of peasant. I shall put him away for a few months and have go at improving him later.  Now I've decided that I need to knit an owl .....