Summer Adventures

Hello, sorry for the sudden disappearing act, we went camping on Sunday and only just got back today, we were meant to stay for one night but on the way home last night, we were overcome with a need to pull off the dual carriageway and onto the road which leads to one of our most favourite places to camp - so we did!

Here's our bell tent, we like nights under proper canvas..



I could've happily stayed there for the rest of the summer.

But on Sunday we were staying in Cornwall. We stopped off for an amble around Fowey.



The scaffolding on one of the buildings looked like ship's rigging I thought.



Shadow bunting.



This looks so timeless.

Then we spent the afternoon near Menabilly which is the house that Daphne du Maurier lived in in the early 1940s and was the inspiration for 'Manderley', the house in her novel Rebecca. Menabilly is hidden from view by a dense ring of woodland (drat!) but we felt a small thrill knowing that she would've walked the lanes and taken the path, as we did, down to the most perfect bay imaginable. The sea was gloriously blue and the beach, wide and softly sandy, with many rock pools and all kinds of shells.



First glimpse..





Then last night we camped in South Devon near Totnes. It's one of our favourite places, the campsite is a farmer's field. Housemartins soar and swoop back and forth, it's overlooked by an orchard filled with content sheep, and in the meadow adjoining there is ravishing and glacial river whose beauty these photographs merely hint at.



Oh and a steam train runs back and forth alongside it. I know, it's perfect.





I feel as though I have stepped outside time in the last couple of days. I love it when that happens.

*p.s* Can I just thank everyone who commented on my last post? Your comments made me very happy indeed, I mean really happy. Excitingly, I am about to start a new collection with some plates I found at the weekend, can't wait to show you!

Even More Playing Around

Do you remember these?



Well, I have been thinking about how I could progress the idea. And so I've been playing around a bit with some decal paper and old china plates to see how it would all work out. As well as my tangram collages, I have also been using some vintage 1930s silk and some doodles from my sketchbook. What do you think?

Swapping Goodness and More

Well, the postman delivered me two treats today. First up a lovely brown box from Artemis, filled with all manner of sweet and darling things!



Iris was so excited and helped me carefully unwrap each treasure, pausing only for a fraction of a second before pouncing on the next. It was a lot like Christmas.













I have been wearing the coin all day, it has a tiny wren on it. Perfect.



I mean, wow, look at this, she made it especially for me... (shakes head in wonder). Thank you Artemis.

And what's more, I also got a thoroughly unexpected family of owls in a frothy white tissue paper nest from my dear sweet friend Jessica!



I feel very lucky indeed.

We have been out all day, Iris and I spent the day with my parents. We did a little shopping and my mum helped me buy this beautiful silk blouse from Whistles.



I tried lots of things on so it was hard to decide which one to splash out on. I have a bit of a Whistles habit, but only in the sale. Siiiiiigh.

I also found some lovely books including this Japanese book from the late seventies called Gathering Mushrooms.



The illustrations are slightly creepy and beautiful.







If I wasn't such a book-lover, I would consider cutting some of them out to frame - a triptych of these would look pretty amazing on a wall don't you think?

And this Picture Puffin, The Twelve Dancing Princesses, also from the late seventies. The illustrations are by Errol Le Cain, and they're so incredibly lavish, intricate and detailed.

Look at the Twelve Princesses in their beds.



Or the front papers.



I also love this one from The Silver Forest (a good blog name, oh yes?).



Anyway, each page heralds some new enchanting loveliness, I'm going to pore over it for some time yet I can tell.

A happy day. Thank you to two splendid girls for making it so.

p.s I have just remembered that I haven't even managed to post all my giant flea market finds, in fact I have a backlog of finds to show you. Argh. Does anyone know where I can score a little more time? Hmm?

Shop and Swap News

Have you seen that I am advertising on Tea For Joy? I am really quite excited about it. And for a limited time only, any TFJ readers can enjoy a 10% discount on any purchase. What are you waiting for?!

So, speaking of shop(s), I have also just opened a shop on etsy, shoplepetitboutique, this was just an experiment really, to see which worked better, etsy or big cartel. It seems that etsy has more footfall (even without me doing a single thing to promote it) but I like the look of big cartel. So for the time being the shops (although separate) will carry the same stock but I am intending that the etsy branch will focus more on vintage things you can wear. Let me know if there are any items you'd like to see in either shop and a-hunting I will go.

And what of the much-discussed swaps, I hear you cry? Pictured below before dispatch.




Well, look here, and you can see exactly what Laura thought of hers and of course, what was in her package. And here to peek into Artemis's parcel. A success! I'm very pleased. Also Francesca from Mrs Elliot Books liked the parcel I sent for the attention of little Gus. Now, I still have two more to do, but I'm basking in a glow of vintage-giving happiness right now, let me tell you.

And to top it all off, on Saturday, I received a very sweet parcel from Nina. A few weeks ago, I bought a dress on her behalf and this was my reward. Such lovely things. A gingham apron for Iris. And this house flash card.



and a book for me. With lovely illustrations and retro photographs..





And just the prettiest card and packaging ever.



Owls - my favourite!



Thank you Nina!

Giant Flea Market Finds

Excitingly, on Sunday, it was time again for the giant flea market. A date that has been feverishly and excitedly anticipated since the last one...

And it was good abundant fun, but for some reason, when we got home, I felt as though I had been weirdly and uncharacteristically restrained. Why? I don't know, I had money in my pocket (rare), an enthusiastic and worthy companion (Katie) and even no Iris (she was at my mum's) so I should've been verily laden down with much treasure, buying with complete abandonment. How very puzzling.

However, what I did find I love, and it was super-fun cruising round the hundreds of stalls in the hazy sunshine.

So - what did I get? C'mon, let me show you...



Brass fruits - for the shop



Sweet little egg cups - also for the shop



Funny little cat - he's made himself at home on Iris's treasure shelves.



A dapper bowtie-wearing puss - he's heading for the shop too.



A Nymolle-a-like plate - wish it was the real deal but still, it's rather lovely. I might put this in Iris's room, she already has a black and white Fiep Westondorp plate on her wall so I think this would go rather nicely.



A little flock of brass sparrows.



Wow, look at this - isn't it beautiful? It's like a rubiks cube.



Pair of Moomin Paperbacks, for the library of the future.



Two pieces of this groovy greeny fabric.



And this amazing apple and pear adorned hand towel. I wish I had metres and metres of this fabric - wouldn't it make a super-sweet beach cover-up?

So quite a lot? Or not as much as you'd expect? I have a few more bits but I'll do those later...