such a perfect day...

world's crappest royal wedding cupcakes!

Fortunately Im better at knitting and made this while I watched the main event

The Holy Grail of 60s/70s retro

I love anything vintage (all my ebay searches start with 'vintage retro' and yesterday I found the ultimate car boot bargain for the retro inclined "Saw Ohn Nyun" by Gerald Kelly, 1969, an iconic image from my childhood. I paid £1.00 for her in the original 70s frame!! i was going to paint my hobby room pale blue but I think Im going to have to match it up with her now!
Here are some of my other booty finds this weekend -

The Roth Trilogy

I love reading but I also listen to a lot of audiobooks when Im cooking or crafting.I find a good narrator can add a whole new dimension to a novel - that said a bad one can destroy it. I love anything narrated by Robert Glenister - I could listen to him reciting the phone book - and Lorelei King.
Right now I am listening to The Roth Trilogy by Andrew Taylor, Ive got that buzz you get when you 'discover' a new author. These books are wonderfully dense and complex but very addictive, the structure - each novel takes you further back in the story arc - means that you often know more than the characters and are looking on helplessly as they go to their fate. Highly, highly recommend them.

Easter Sunday

Im not a christian so easter sunday mainly reminds me of an excellent Patti Smith song, however Im not on to let an excuse for a celebration pass me by so this is our late spring festival. Funny how all the christian events tie in with pagan ones...My mum, my brother and his partner are coming for lunch and Ive got some cute chicken shaped chocolates for the kids.

Top 40 feel good songs

I need some help here, I'm trying to create a playlist of songs that will drive the blues away. Here are the ones I've got so far, I would like some suggestions ...


Greatest Day - Take That
Gold - Spandau Ballet
Waka Waka - Shakira
Green Onions - Booker T and the MGs
Ignition - R.Kelly
Single Ladies - Beyonce
Sweet Home Alabama _ Lynyrd Skynyrd
Let Me Entertain You -Robbie
Pretty Vacant - Pistols

Waka waka hey hey

Can you die of insomnia?

With insomnia, nothing's real. Everything is far away. Everything is a copy, of a copy, of a copy.Fight Club
 
It's 5.30 am and I have lain awake since 1.30. Now I have to go and stand in field for 5 hours selling and haggling. Mercy me!
This insomnia has got to be a vicious cycle - I'm exhausted so after tea I flop in front of the tv with a glass of wine and promptly fall asleep - result -another sleepless night.I need to make some serious changes to my lifestyle.

It's June in April

My daughter got badly sun burned yesterday oin 8 April! Wonderful weather and a great car boot sale this morning, didnt want to leave with the sun on my back and everyone friendlly and mellow.

Tim Wannacott at Newark antique fair yesterday

purse i made for my niece Abby wth  buttons fron punch n julie

Th garden is starting to look good, its tiny but perfectly formed...

The year of living frugally

I got the idea for doing this from Rubyred's blog - buying nothing new -with one or exceptions allowed- for myself or the house for a year. Since I took (very) early retirement in December 2009 money is a lot tighter and we have a long planned road trip up the east coast of the USA to pay for this year. So, a bit of frugal living seemed like a good idea for us as well as for the environment.
The exceptions Ive allowed myself are crafty materials and anything during the three weeks we are on holiday

Table £7.50, Lou Lou Guinness bag £1.50, vintage knitting needles £1 for 3 pairs

The table now in my hall with Molly checkin it out

8 balls og gorgeous yarn for £12 off ebay

Corner shelf unit £10, cookery book stand £1. Wine full price and letting the side down on frugal living!

Now that the car boot season is getting under way it's getting a lot easier and here are some of my thrifty purchases- im hoping to maybe even make a small profit on some of them.

Molly the cutest cat in the world

I admit it, Im obssessed with my cats and this little one who still looks like a kitten most of all.

Easy knitted purse pattern

This is my easy pattern for a knitted purse. This one is knitted in Rico baby DK and lined with a scrap of Cath Kidston fabric. The flower brooch embellishment was bought from a jumble sale for 20p. Hope you like it!

Abbreviations used:

KFB knit into front and back of stitch to increase

K2T knit 2 stitches together

CO cast on

BO bind (cast) off

CO 6 stitches

Next and every alternate row -purl

2 KFB around (12 stitches)

4( KFB K1) around 18 stitches

6(KFB K2) around 24 stitches

8(KFB K3) around 30 stitches

10 (KFB K4) around 36 stitches

Now work 11 rows in stocking (stockingette) stitch

22 (K2T K4) along

24 (K2T K3) along

26 (K2T K2) along

28 (K2T K1) along

30 (K2T) along

32 BO

Done! Now make another exactly the same.

Choose your lining material and cut out 2 circles the same size or slightly larger than your knitting. Bear in mind that your circles of knitting arent flat and your lining needs to be big enough to create a sort of pouch when attached.

Slip stitch the lining to the knitting, then one at a time glue or sititch to the purse frame. There is a useful tutorial on this at 

u-handbag.typepad.com/uhandblog/.../purse_frames_de.html

When it is dry you can mattress stitch the 2 pieces around and add your favourite kitschy decorations.