Red , White and Blue !

Hope everyone has had a jolly Jubilee ! Here's some fairy, flowery  red, white blue for you from my archives ...

Feeling Floral

 With all this wonderful weather I have been feeling very floral - such a delight to waft through the garden like a fairy , picking posies and thinking of painting all the blooms and blossom.

 I just love getting up close to flowers and looking in to their hidden worlds ...

 Have found some water colours that I did for my own amusement a couple of years ago ( can't remember if I have posted these before ) . Seeing them again makes me want to paint some more this year.

 I must get some more geraniums back in to this part of the garden  - that splash of red draws the eye through the dark arch of ivy.

Bringing the garden in to the house ...

 Have rearranged the mantlepiece after painting it ( it was a very dark wood before and now the room seems much lighter )  and found a home for our china birds ... these tulips are nearly over but I love their floppy charm .

Don't forget to look out for the fairies at the bottom of your garden ( best at twilight - this heat wilts their wings. )

A Sneak Preview

 Have been very busy getting everything together for the May Festival. I'm showing at 52, Carlisle Road again with Cherry Picked For You - open from 5 th May to the 27th May , weekends only.
So here is a quick peek of my new dolls that I will be showing ( also various fairies, mermaids and garden embroideries.) These new ladies are all about 8 inches high and have button joined limbs and this time a soft torso as well as 'real' hair !
The red head above is called Rosa , she's £65. Below is Rita ( inspired by Rita Hayworth ?! ) She is also £65.

 Next comes Miranda who is sporting some rather lovely yellow silk velvet pantaloons and real silk ribbons in her hair ( Liberty print shirt. ) £65.

 They are joined here by Viola also in Liberty and £65.

Next in line are my fairy trio :  Antonia  £85

Note the slimmer figures and these ones ( and Rita above are made to sit on the edge of a shelf with bent knees ) and they all have super shiny leggings as I have varnished them and when you get to the bottom of this post you will see an example of the high heels they are wearing. Antonia has Peacock feather wings.

Bluebell  £85

 

Pandora  £85

Sorry to rush but am packing them all away for setting up tomorrow ... back soon !

Everything Is All White !

Everything has been bursting out so quickly this Spring it's hard to take it all in before it has faded away. I have been looking at white things lately , starting with my magnolia Stelatta

( which as I type has already shed it's starry blossoms and is turning green. ) However this dewy piece of Candy Tuft ( love that name ) is ready to take it's white place in my garden.

Turning my sights in to the house , I have always loved this bone china sugar bowl with it's

cherry blossom pattern.

And this plate whose design is called 'Sweet Nancy', is another Spring delight. This is the only piece I have ever managed to find and as my elder daughter shares this name I would love to find more.

My sellotape man makes me smile every day ...

And this fungal looking photo is actually the top of my flour shaker.

This one's a jug called a 'Glugger' , so called because of the sound it makes when pouring.

Still in the kitchen and this is the sea side cup and saucer I keep my chalk in ( white of course ! )

All this white has gone to my head and here is my latest dolly - the first one with 'real' hair

and rather slimmer round the waist. Think I might call her Alba.

Happy Spring Days !

Paris in the Springtime

Have recently been to Paris for a few days for shopping and inspiration !

Join me as we walk around window shopping ... this was a lovely vintage shop with old dolls and the silk flowers in the foreground are an old hat.

These are some delightful hanging fabric babies on ribbons - the smaller ones are in walnut shells.

Two old signs found in a traditional pharmacy.

This was a great bead shop in the Marais district just behind the Pompidou Centre. They take a long lunch hour so go early morning or after 3 !

Had to buy some patisserie of course ...

Have come back with some great fabrics and habadashery from Entree Des Fournisseurs

which is also in the Marais at 8, Rue des Francs Bourgeois. It is just full of the most beautiful things ; kits, ribbons , off cuts, needlework boxes, scissors and tools and the best selection of buttons I've seen for a long time - take your credit card !

This bundle will be worked into some of my garden embroideries I think ...

These fine trimmings will make some fairy very happy ...

Will be making more of these little ladies with my finds ! If anyone has any interesting cotton reels to give away there is a free fairy to be posted ...