Ardingly.......

The first visit this year, and I really hope not the last, to Ardingly Antiques and Collectors Fair.  It was a glorious pre-spring day. The kind of day that, when the children were little, we would have a "picnic"lunch on the back doorstep.(Too cold to sit out but enough warmth in the sun to enjoy it).

 It was made extra exciting this time when we spotted them filming an episode of Bargain Hunt, if you watch this you will recognise Charles Henson and Charlie Ross. We decided we would be perfect for the show!

These are my finds.

The leather case hold knitting needles. Good weather, nice people, good day.

Lastly, the bulb for this was a Christmas present to DH.

TWTWTW.........

or for the young "that was the week that was", (a satirical TV programme in the early sixties)

For me it just sums up how quickly the weeks pass.  Last Sunday we took a trip to Farnham, Surrey for  the Quilters Exhibition and Fabrics January Sale. I didn't know there was that much quilting material in the world. It was an amazing experience, if you think the Knit and Stitch is busy, you should try getting round this event.  I didn't really need any material but I couldn't resist the "scrap" bags which were perfect for my hexagon quilt which is growing (slowly but definitely growing).

It was also an opportunity to meet up with Sharon I met online  in the Calendar Girls 2008 postcard challenge, Sharon has a wonderful shed on her allotment which I covert. Lovely to catch up.

One of the other highlights of the day was an exhibition by Creative Cloth Doll Makers of Farnborough, Surrey.
Meet Fagin

 

and I liked these smart circus figures

but this was the star.  A Steampunk Crow .His tag reads "Keep Calm and Carrion"

In the middle of the week we had a play day.  Using cotton reels and keys. This was the table,

This was the result of my labours.  No practical use whatsoever.  What fun.

This wasn't this week but I thought you might like these photographs to play with. Part of the roof at the New Kings Cross Station

and I loved the colours in this, the Garrick Theatre facade.

A dream......

.....look and see what an Australian couple found and what they are doing. There is a blog... I am hooked.

Childhood visits........

I have spent the last two days immersed in stories.
  The first was the film of "Into the Woods", Stephen Sondheim's  weaving of well known fairy stories into an exploration of the aftermath of "happily ever after". I love the music and  I enjoyed it immensely but I didn't have the same emotional reaction that I have had in the past watching it in live theatre. "Be careful what you wish for..."

Last night, however, was a very different.  .  We went to see "The Railway Children", a live performance with real train at Kings Cross Theatre. I was completely engaged.  Excellent acting by all, clever direction full of those little touches which lift productions out of the ordinary, an evening I am sure I will remember. For those of you that love the book or remember the film, the "Daddy, my Daddy" moment was wonderful.  I have to mention my daughter's god daughter(the reason we went) who was one of the Perks children and did it very well.

One more story this evening, (everything comes at once).  "Love on the Dole" at our local little theatre. "Something completely different" as they say but something I am looking forward to.

Faux rust link.....

I saw this tutorial  for making faux rust on A Vintage Journey this morning. It uses mainly Ranger products but interesting.   I thought I would pass it on

 

To Anonymous who left a question on this post about dying with avocado skins I think it would be difficult if you have a particular shade in mind as it all depends on the type of material as you can see in the picture. Thank you for your interest.

For a gentle friend.......

Gudrun

Always something new...

I have never before heard of an ice flower. Thanks to Curiosites de Titam and Kuriositas (loads of photos) and this site for more in depth explanation by Dr James R Carter.  Apparently called Ice Segregation but ice flower will do for me.  I would love to find one.

Here we go.....

Christmas Tree dismantled, always a long melancholy job. I was tempted to adopt this approach I saw on Facebook.

Made me smile

. So now it is back to "normal".  This morning I made a list of the things I have to complete before our little group exhibition in April.  That was a wake up call!

 All the entertainment around is not going to help but the cinema booked for "The Theory of Everything", the bio pic about Stephen Hawking and in complete contrast "Into the Woods", A surprise treat to see "The Railway Children" at the Kings Cross Theatre and then "Love on the Dole" at Geoffrey Whitworth  our local little theatre. Also planned trip to London to catch the Rembrandt Exhibition. Not a bad start to the year.

In the hope that 2015  will continue  to be entertaining I have added new little box to my side bar.These are events which I hope I will find time to visit/do.  I am great at seeing something is coming and then forgetting until it is too late, so it is really a  prompt box for me as but you may find it interesting.

Reminder to self.......

The Rembrandt, the late works Exhibition at the National Gallery ends on the 18th January and at the National Portrait Gallery there are some of the finalist's work for the Sky Arts Portrait Artist of the Year.
I had a thought a while back that Van Gogh makes me think I can paint and Rembrandt reminds me that I can't.  The Sky Arts programme was made even more entertaining when I recognised two of my friends amongst the "critics". So it looks like a trip to London is required next week.
In the meantime I would like to thank all the people who visit and especially those who leave comments.  Highly valued. I wish you all you wish yourselves for the coming year.  Lots of inspiration and creativity and most of latt lots of fun.
A sample of each month this last year.

Procrastination.........

I should be wrapping presents, making mince pies, shopping lists and any of all the other myriad things that fill our heads at this time.  So what did I do.........I changed the layout of my blog.One of the reasons was to try and make the pictures bigger. How's this?  A sunrise earlier this month.

I have been wondering whether I should continue blogging(I hate that word, so ugly,) or whether I should give in and close it down.  But then I decided that would be counter productive to my (general lack of) production. A few bits here,

So I have changed the look, I have added a picture of my own homeland as a header (it tugs me more and more) and l have a plan in the New Year to try and produce lists of coming events which I hope will be of interest. In the past I have posted about visits to exhibitions which are finished (I am a bit of a last minute person) and when other people do the same I am quite frustrated.  So, if you know of an exhibition or workshop lleave me a comment  and I will try to post the necessary links in a timely way.

Our first planned visit in the New Year is the Quilters Exhibition and Fabric January Sale at the Maltings, Farnham, Surrey on the 18th January

So it just remains for me to wish anyone who lands here, either by accident or design a very Happy Christmas and every thing you wish yourself for the New Year.

Back to the lists.........

A cold and frosty morning......

...I took another quick trip to London on Saturday and our wanderings lead us to VV Rouleaux, one of my all time favourite shops.  I would love to be locked in for a week so I could see everything. The outside was entertainment in itself, completely covered in sheep's wool.

Close up

Having been a fan of the Liberty of London tv series we went to have a look at the Christmas windows

 I thought this would make teatime exciting

 and of course just a tiny peek inside.

 It was only possible to squeeze into the Christmas shop for a few moments.

but we would have liked to take these two home with us.

There are always beautiful flower outside and these did not disappoint.

The Ridge....

I found this on the  Curiosites de Titam blog.  Something that I would be too timid to do but am enthralled by this virtual journey. I could watch it over and over as there are so many images that appear and then vanish..

THE RIDGE from Camp 4 Collective on Vimeo.

And vis Curiosites as well this stunner. Odda in Norway.

via this site

Disappointment and delight..........

Yesterday, a remarkably murky day even for London in November, I went to visit the  Finch exhibition at Anthropologie in the Kings Road, Chelsea.  The display was confined to one small room

and two windows,

 This mas me smile.

  Because of all the publicity it has had I think I was expecting a much larger exhibition so I left feeling vaguely disappointed.

I hopped on a bus to Harrods and found these,  in between the large window displays were these tiny
delights. Who knew what goes on under our feet.

If you click you should get a closer view. The reflections and the snow effect made them quite difficult to photograph and they were set quite high, we commented that they were above child height, which seems a shame.  So much fun and whimsy, massive congratulations to and envy of the people who made them.  I would love to go again.

On another note entirely, I have probably been living inside my head but this morning I found this magazine
Through our Hands,
 
 it is now on it's third issue and you can read it on line or pay for a pdf copy.
Thanks to Margaret Cooter for the link.

ET....is back

Looked out of my kitchen window and found I was being watched.

Busy....

...but I just had to share this.


See the rest of the pictures of an abandoned mill in Wales here

My new friend.....

meet my boro bear...

I found these bears in Hobbycraft,  . "The Girls" decided we should decorate them. I covered mine boro style with pieces left over from my boro piece which I haven't shown yet. It was great fun to see how different they all were.

Here is Boro sitting in splendour uinderneath the Sep/Oct tree.

Can't believe a year has nearly disappeared and it is time to deck the tree in its' original Christmas finery.......did I say Christmas......by the look of the shop it must be very soon.  Christmas songs in M&S today!