Contented

A craft fair - and maybe a swap idea?

So, on Sunday morning my parents, brother and I went to the craft fair at Penshurst Place.  This is a lovely, big craft fair that is held twice a year, in May and September, and we usually go to at least one of these.  Having been there so often, a lot of the stalls are very familiar, but there are always some new ones too, and always lots of lovely things to look at. 

 

A not terribly good photo of the actual house.  The weather on Sunday was a bit of a mish mash, not quite knowing if it wanted to be cloudy or sunny!

I always come away with a few bits and pieces and this visit was no exception!  My first purchase was this gorgeous, walnut heart, which has been treated with lemon oil and so smells delicious!

 

It's currently hanging on a cupboard in the dining room but I want to find a better spot for it - perhaps if I ever finish decorating the hallway it could hang there?

I've built up rather a collection of hearts now.  Another thing I have quite a collection of, and have posted about before, is jugs, and I just couldn't resist this little one:

 

I'm trying to make more of an effort to actually use the jugs I have (rather than have them sitting, collecting dust in a cupboard) so I filled it with forget-me-knots from our garden and it's looking very pretty in our living room.

 

As well as some scrummy handmade chocolates (umm, yes, they've all gone now!) I also got three beach-hut themed things - the little tin and set of cards "Beach Huts in a Box" by Emma Ball, and then a lovely handmade card, based on an embroidered picture by Abigail Mill (check out her website - the embroidered pictures are absolutely beautiful!)

I think (no, actually I know) the reason I am drawn to the image of beach huts is that it is such a prominent memory from my childhood.  My grandparents lived in Devon and every summer holiday we would go and stay for the whole six weeks and spend almost every day down at the beach, at the hut that they owned.  And buying these things from the craft fair got me thinking how fun it might be to do a seaside themed swap.  I've not hosted a swap before but what do you think?  Is anyone up for it?  It doesn't have to be beach huts, you could have seashells, icecreams, sandcastles, fish, sailing boats, lighthouses - the list goes on!  Let me know what you think, and if I get enough interest then I'll get organising!  I know there are lots of other swaps/quilting bees etc going on (not to mention summer fairs to prepare for!) so I would give plenty of time for this one - thinking maybe end of July?  Anyway, just let me know what you think.

Have a great week!

R x

Collection

Following on from this post, and in the absence of anything crafty to show you, I thought I would share my little collection of Poole pottery with you today.

 

I think all these items came from my Nana's house (note to self: check with mother about this kind of thing before starting to type next time!)  There's the little jug you saw last time, a cute little vase and two little bowls. 

 

The trough shaped item at the front is also intended for putting flowers in, with the stems cut very short, almost to the flower head, but I have no idea what you would call it! 

 

And finally, there is Nana's marmalade jar, which was pretty much a permanent fixture of the breakfast table at her house:-

 

This is the item that holds most sentimental value, as it is a very clear memory from my childhood - even though I never ate marmalade!  I love all these pieces though, the pretty, soft colours used and the lovely feel of the pottery too. 

Now I have to go and make some chocolate fudge for our teachers, and hopefully next time I'll have something a little more seasonal to show you!

R x

Collecting

I've always liked collecting things, although I've never just stuck to one particular thing - when I was young I used to collect little boxes, at the moment it seems to be fabric and when I moved into my first home with Peter and became interested in all things housey, it was jugs (of the china variety!) that caught my eye.  Trashy was sharing pics of some of her collection of jugs this morning, and that has prompted me to do the same, so here are just a few of my favourites:-

 

 

 

The top one came from Whittards (the tea&coffee place), the middle one is from Poole Pottery and belonged to my Nana and the last is a Denby jug that I love the shape of.  Unfortunately, they very rarely get used, if ever, which is a bit of a shame really.  But they are at least on display in a cabinet and not shut away in a cupboard, so I do get to see them every day.  I'll maybe share some more with you in future posts.  I hope it doesn't send you all to sleep!  I do enjoy seeing what "things" people have in their homes, so I hope some of you do too!

In the meantime, here's today's creation - another fabric basket!

 

Enjoy the rest of the week!

R x