A rather peachy lampshade

For some time I have had a couple of lampshade skeletons languishing in my crafty room. I picked them up for just a couple of pounds from a charity store, after being inspired to do something 'fabricy' with lampshades following a lovely trip last summer to Charleston House, the home of the Bloomsbury set - an influential group of associated English writers, intellectuals, philosophers and artists, the best known members of which included Virginia Woolf, John Maynard Keynes, E. M. Forster and Lytton Strachey.

Among the Bohemians: Virginia Woolf (centre) outside a summerhouse with her house guests, economist Maynard Keynes (right) and Angelica Bell, Vanessa Bell and Clive Bell, 1930s.

In 1916 Charleston became the home of the artist Vanessa Bell, her fellow artist (and sometime lover) Duncan Grant, the writer David Garnett, her two young sons and an assortment of animals. The two men were conscientious objectors and had come to do farm work.

picture: photolibrary.com

Conditions at the house were primitive with only the basic plumbing and no gas or electricity, but the three adults gradually decorated the walls with murals and filled the house with their paintings, ceramics and painted furniture. Their work was influenced by Italian fresco painting and post-Impressionist art and the unique ambiance they created is still obvious today. Vanessa was a dab hand with fabrics too, and created curtains and lampshades for various rooms in the house.

My interest in doing something with the lampshade was re-ignited when, for Christmas, I was given Tiff Fussell and Rachelle Blondel's new book, Granny Chic from my rather peachy friend, Gaby. Tiff and Rachelle both love the eclectic mix of granny style fabrics and lace, but often give their crafty creations a modern twist. Granny Chic is a lovely book, and quite sweet in nature, with it's flowery language and retro look.

So I gathered some fabric scraps from my stash, and began winding ripped strips of fabric around the skeleton. You have to be both patient and dexterous! But it soon came together and then it was just a case of sewing a stitch or two in the loose ends of fabric strips to neaten the inside of the shade.

So there...a unique shade for the princely sum of less than £2.50. That's thrifting at its best. You could make a similar stripey lampshade, or use tones of the same colour, or indeed just use a single fabric to match other accessories in the room.

Have a good week

I do believe in fairies!

Ever since I was a little girl I've been fascinated with the natural world. I also have a particular fondness for the magical world too. And this includes pixies, trolls, unicorns, nisser (Danish Christmas elves), and, of course, fairies! Now, don't get me wrong, I certainly don't have twee plastic gnomes all over the garden, or tacky ornaments of dragons and pixies on the mantelpiece.

However, I do like the mystery surrounding these mythical beings. Fairies are usually tiny, often beautiful human-like creatures (sometimes with wings) that appear in legends and folklore around the world. Fairies probably began as versions of pagan nature gods and goddesses, and so they are often associated with the outdoors.

Depending on the region, fairies are said to live in woodland communities, underground kingdoms, or inhabit lakes, hills, or stone or grass circles — sometimes with centaurs, elves, ogres, gnomes and other such creatures. Fairies come in many races and tribes, and vary in size and shape; though most are small, some can change in height and become human-sized or larger if they choose.

The remains of a fairy...

Fairies are now mostly relegated to children's magical fiction, hence the phrase "fairy tales." In centuries past, however, many adults also believed in the existence of fairies. Early fairies were not cute pixies; they were lustful, nasty and cruel creatures as likely to kill you as lead you out of the forest. They were often benevolent, but could also be capricious and vindictive. Travelers on long journeys (or even those just beyond their home villages) would bring offerings to leave for the fairies, typically bannock (bread) cakes, tobacco or fruits. In return, the fairy folk might provide good weather or safe passage from wild beasts and highwaymen.

Today I decided to pamper to my inner 'fairyness' and make a little home for a fairy. It's very easy to do and makes a lovely (and also rainy day) play activity with small people, as they can use their imagination to create something rather magical.

Find a large jar, the bigger the better.

Pop out to the woods, your garden, or a local park, and collect some stones, a little moss and a few twigs.

Arrange these items in the jar. If you wish, you could also add some miniature furniture, for instance, chairs and a table borrowed from a doll's house. I kept my fairy jar quite natural, like their woodland floor home.

I added a large toadstool, and popped my little fairy girl in.  And I think she looks rather cute nestled there in the spongy green moss, bringing a sparkle of New Year magic to my home!

How about this teapot fairy house made by Arthur Millican, jr. of Sleepy Hollow Woodworking Studio?

Or this pine cone house from Annmarie Garden?

 

So, tell me, do you believe in fairies?

 

Wey hey and so it's 2013!

We've reached the end of 2012 and have begun a fresh new year. We survived the Mayan prediction that the world would end on the 21st of December (if one is inclined to believe such forecasts of doom), and here we are at the beginning once again, a year full of promise of exciting things to come.

Our beautiful planet, we need to look after her!

It's time to make New Year's resolutions (although who really sticks to them anyway??) but hey it's the tradition, so it's gotta be done. Mine as usual are to lose a little weight, get fitter and be more creative!

Here is a wonderful piece of music to ease you into the New Year. It's Mother Himalaya by Knut Reiersrud, Hans Fredrik Jacobsen and Vajra.

Wishing you all a very happy and healthy 2013 - may all your dreams come true

 

 

Of parties and paperchains

I decided on a tartan theme for the Christmas party we held for a couple of very lovely people that help with Sam.

Paper chains are an easy decoration to make and can be themed for any occasion and topic. I searched for various tartan colours and patterns and got hubby to print these out before cutting into strips.

A bit of glue or (staple them together) and hey presto, a lovely garland to decorate your room. Here I added a few pom-poms in matching colours.

 

Below are some other examples of lovely chains. They could also be made out of other materials too, such as stitched fabric, knitted or crochet wool scraps.

stitchlily.blogspot.co.uk

 from belladia.typepad.com

from spottedcanary.com

We had a fun evening with much laughter, a rather loud rendition of the 12 days of Christmas (goodness knows what the neighbours thought!) and few vociferous rounds of  the game 'Animal, Vegetable or Mineral'!

Santa decorations from the Knickerbocker Glory dessert having a Xmas hug!

Wishing you a lovely Christmas!

xXx

Teachers and presents

We have well and truly entered the busy pre-Christmas period. Only a few days until the schools break off for the holidays and there are many preparations yet to be finished. Having two boys at different schools means two sets of teachers and two sets of presents.

 

As Sam's class is small, I made each child a little gift bag with three gingerbread cookies, and the teachers and support staff got one with a few nice chocolates and a Christmas tree decoration.

Today BB gave a talk at school; he was quite nervous. He had to tell a story in 5 minutes, and had been agonising over this for weeks.  He had tried reading various books, and even writing his own story. In the end I advised him to keep it simple, and perhaps try to inject a little Christmas spirit into the story.

He eventually chose an old classic: the Gingerbread Man. BB turned the little old lady character into Mrs Santa, and the cow and the horse into a reindeer and a snow hare. The fox became a sly wolf, and he took a large Gingerbread man into school as a prop (and ultimately to eat!) and gingerbread Santa biscuits for all 27 of his class mates.

Presents for BB's teachers -  a bag of our pollinator friendly annual seed mixes!

The story went down really well (and so did the Gingerbread biscuits) and his story ended up in the class' prestigious 'Hall of Fame'! 

Well done, my lovely Christmas elf!

The Christmas Tree

This weekend BB and I put up the Christmas tree, with Sam watching on in amusement. In a break with my usual tradition of using the Nordic colours of red, green and white with lots of natural textures on the tree, I opted for multi-coloured ornaments, and added a bit of bling!

BB holding a gorgeous ball of coloured fairy lights

After a lot of hassle finding a string of lights where all the light bulbs worked, I finally got them wound onto the tree. Why on Earth don't they find ways of making it easier to detect a faulty light bulb?!

I think it's very important to include treasured bits and bobs created by the boys, no matter what the theme is. In the meantime the boys got on with what they do best...a huge tickle fight!

Final result - very colourful and not at all Scandinavian...just for a change...but still got the thumbs up from all my chaps.

Have a lovely, and hopefully not too frantic, pre-Christmas week!

{this moment}

From Soulemama: 

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.