Looking Back

Its been sometime since I have made a bear. Looking back through my pictures of my creations has given me as much pleasure as actually making the bears. It has also motivated me into making one again soon. After six years of producing bears non-stop, all my own designs, I had a burn out and it was then I found the primitve scene. I did combine the primitive look and my bear making and rather like that type of bear as opposed to the traditional bear, for me I could be more adventurous. One of my favourite traditional bears I ever made was Sailor Boy or Billy Boy as his new owner named him. He only stood three inches tall, with his white hat, suitcase and sailor doll. Hand stitched in mohair and fully jointed, he sold within an hour of stitching the last stitch.

Long time

It seems to be ages since i posted or even visited my blog. Life is so busy with weekly shows, at time two in the weekend. My friend and I do the weekend shows together and each week we have a different theme, so its make like mad during the week to get some stock. Still I am enjoying being creative again.
I hope the weather for this saturdays/sundays shows is sunny so I can take some pictures and will post them here. This weekends show is garden settings.

Coffee anyone?

Today I found this cute enamel coffee pot and milk pan, and it goes so well with the mini enamel mugs I had already. Hubby and I sat down this evening and enjoyed our first pot of coffee in this set. It bought back memories of my childhood, life on the farm. We always had a pot of coffee bubbling away on the coal stove, that aroma filtering through the farmhouse, giving it a warm inviting homely feel. There were always huge mason jars of freshly baked rusks to enjoy with the coffee, of course as children we were allowed to dunk our rusks if no visitors were present. Ahh..... the memories, I just love enamelware!

"String Beings"

Years ago, I did a range called "String Beings" long, tall skiny gollies, dollies and bears. These appealing fellows sold very well and had a wooden body, feet and hands and their arms and legs were string. They were dressed in cotton fabrics and embellishments and could sit on a shelf or hang on the wall. Recently I came across three unfinished bodies, I think I had kept these as samples incase I decided to re-do the range.
Well here is the first one, Lanky Larry -a golly. Now to dress and finish the dolly and bear.

Good Morning Scones

Today I made a batch of oat scones, perfect for an early Sunday breakfast.
Served with Morella Cherry preserve or one of your choice and a cup of good filtered coffee, nothing could be more satisfying.
Here is my recipe:
Into a bowl put,
250ml of oatbran or rolled oats
500ml of self raising flour
250ml of milk
25ml sugar
60ml salad oil
1 egg
pinch salt.
mix well together. If mixture is too dry add a little more milk.
Grease patty pan tins (or use "Spray and cook") and drop tablespoon into each one.
Makes about 24 scones.
Bake at 400 degrees farenheit for 15 minutes until golden brown. Serve immediately with preserve of your choice.
Enjoy!

Saturday Farmers Market

Its saturday again and another day to spend at the local farmers market. I love doing this show, its a combination of stalls with wonderful fresh produce, great food, and craft stands (that's where I come in). Folks come in their hundreds and bring along their dogs too. I still can't work out who numbers more, folks or their dogs. There is every breed of dog one could think of, and all so beautifully sociable, mothers meeting their offspring, weekly friends greeting, I just love watching it all. The great part about this weekly show is that is over by 10.30am (We start at 5.30am)
Our craft side is usually busy as well and tomorrow I will have a touch of Spring and a little Autumnia. I'm one of those who needs to do a pre-run display the night before, so here is my touch of spring with lavendery items, pincushions, bath salts,
hand cremes, tapestry scatter cushions, sewing tins and a few other items. Not shown are the shades of lavender throws, hand made bags which will be hung on a stand.
Now I had better go and do my autumnal display and hopefully have time to take a picture of that too.

Keep it Symple-African Pumpkin

Over the past months,hubby and I had come up with a saying, to slow down our rushed life, "keep it simple". It just somehow seems appropriate to place my new range of creations under this name, "Keep it Symple". Here is my African Pumpkin Pin Cushion, as simple as can be. Texture fabric 6 segment pumpkin, all hand sewn, with a centre handmade wooden Blackwood button and hand painted wooden beads. The African pumpkin sits loosely atop a tiny enamel tin mug which can house your extra pins, thimbles and cottons. The mug is simply decorated with old jute.
Would love to know what you think.

But wait, who has come to visit??? Take a look at !
Keep it Symple.

Buttons Buttons Everywhere!

A History of the Button
by Roy Earnshaw
Listen. Listen hard.

Something is trying to tell you something. Those little round discs, there on your shirt. Yes, yes, your buttons.

They're saying, "Let us tell you stories, of our former glories. Plain though now we be, once magnificent were we."

You can't hear them? Well, maybe not. Life is awfully loud these days. And fast. And huge. Hard to focus on a humble little button.

Guess it's up to us to tell you stories of their former glories."

I love buttons and have a good collection of them, in all shapes, sizes and colours.
I love running my hand through the boxes, wondering about their history, their stories and bringing back memories of when I was a child. Whenever I or one of my sisters were poorly, mum would give us her big old blue padded chocolate box filled with buttons to play with. It was the best medicine any child could want.

I thought it about time to sort them out and decided for now its best to sort according to colour. White was my choice, well shades of white.
Once I have all the "whites" together, (which will take some time to get through the bottles and boxes of buttons) I will then sort further into sizes.
I have just singled out a few, merely as their size fascinates me, and the ones on the right are very different to the touch. They are ice cold and quite weighty and have a well worn look in places. I wonder how old they are and what they are made of, its feels almost like some sort of shell?

Tea For Two

It's such a beautiful day today, we decided to have our morning tea outside.
With my little bistro chair and table and our Royal Albert "Cottage Garden" tea set for two, what more could one want. Well a perfect compliment is a bottle of lemon zest sugar, somehow it just enhances the tea. If you are not a sweet tea drinker, just add a tip of a teaspoon to your tea. If you enjoy your sugar in tea then use as you would use sugar.
Here is the recipe for you to enjoy, or make a bottle of two to give as a gift, it really is most delicous and refreshing.
Lemon Sugar

The fragrant oils in lemon zest give a distinctive aroma and flavor to foods. Combine lemon zest with sugar, and use in place of ordinary sugar in baking. Try sprinkling over sugar cookies or stirring into hot tea for a delicious lemony treat

Makes about 1 pound
You may substitute oranges and limes to make other citrus sugars. Use instead of plain granulated sugar in baking, or try sprinkling over cookies or stirring into hot tea for a delicious citrusy treat. The sugar will keep for several months in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

3 lemons
2 cups sugar

1. Using a citrus zester, remove the zest. (Alternatively, using a paring knife or a vegetable peeler, remove the zest; then scrape as much of the bitter white pith off it as possible.) Roughly chop zest; transfer to a food processor, and add 1 cup sugar. Pulse until zest has been finely ground, about 3 minutes.
2. Transfer the ground mixture to a medium bowl. Add remaining cup sugar, and toss until evenly mixed.
3. Spread the lemon sugar on a baking pan, and let sit at room temperature until dry, about 1 hour


Enjoy!

Birds in the Garden

I have been trying to catch our abundance of wild birds on camera, but with my little digital, its not so easy. I just can't get close enough and when I am close enough, I don't have my camera, murphy's law! So until my son comes in December with his sophisticated zoom lens camera, I will just have to be content with the snaps I do take.
Hubby made me two new bird feeders, just simple large platforms, for the amount of birds who try to eat at once is great and these fancy birfeeders just don't satistfy them enough.
The little mannekins are the sweetest , most perfect miniature bird, one wants to hold and cuddly them. They come in numbers, and I suppose because of their size always huddle together when eating. Weavers are more daring and noisy at that, but I still find them fascinating in their business. The sunbids are our midday birds, they love it if I have the sprinkler on, the male with his irridescent colours is just such a picture of natures wonder.
For now I have to content myself with a picture of mannekins, if you take a closer look you can see then on the branches of the tree and one in the water bowl.
More about out birdlife later.

It's Time to Give-Away

"A gateway to heaven"
Thank you to all those who took the time to view my Howick Give-Away, I wish that you could have all been winners.
Hubby drew the names and I have listed them on .Wednesday's Wanderings.
I have also added some new "old " items from my treasure hunting, take a look and let me know if you're interested. I will add a few more later in the week.