Bluebell Wood

I'm clearly all about Nature this week, because today we visited some friends who have an organic smallholding in fields which overlook the sea. As we crept up the pot-holey track we glimpsed great swathes and flashes of blue. The bluebells are out, hot on the heels of the blossom and daffodils and wild garlic. A glorious sight, I'm sure you'll agree...

Spring's The Thing

Oh, isn't Spring wonderful? What's your favourite Spring thing?

Today, I have several...



Glorious Cowslips (also known as Fairy Cups) Lots of very interesting folklore attached to this now rare flower. How about this one, if a woman washes her face in milk which has been infused with Cowslips, then her beloved will be drawn closer to her....worth a try?





A unicorn in the making?



Big skies..



And the last hurrah of the cherry blossom.

Flea Market Finds

Here's a little round up of my finds from the last week or so. I have been trying to rein it in a tad, not sure how successful I am in the general field of reining-it-in, but it's an attempt nevertheless.

Buying books for their covers. That's a bit naughty isn't it? I bought three yesterday.



Pretty pertinent, eh?





Anne Bancroft smouldering, impossible to resist.



A vintage Cadburys tin, for storing odd and ends in Iris's room.



A pair of cowboy drinking glasses. We're well catered for the glasses department as you might expect, but I could hardly be expected to walk past these could I?



A pair of pom-pom adorned slippers. I already have a pair of these, which I bought in the full knowledge that they were too small for Iris, I bought them because I thought them beautiful. So when I saw these in the window of one of our many charity shops, my heart went *skip* with excitement. But alas! They are also too small! A new collection in the making, perhaps?



A part of a child's teaset in a fetching shade of blue. As it's plastic (although from the 1950s I might add) it'll be perfect for playing with in the garden.



A diecast model of a man riding a white horse. The man is minus his head and one arm but that was really why I bought it. A curiosity, no?



And a little china deer.

p.s. I'm still canvassing opinion on the post below, do let me know what you think about my shop idea!

Inside and Outside My Sketch Book

I've been spending odd moments this week, doodling about, cutting and sticking. It's really fun. But I do keep wondering what to do with all these things I keep making. Should I open up a little shop? Would anyone buy these? Eeek, it's scary getting back into this again, but I do feel very inspired at the moment, by my friends, by Flickr favourites, by my beloved little blog, by the creative people it has introduced to me and by all your lovely comments. Your thoughts, as ever, are welcome.

So, here they are, owls, geometrics and colour abound, some are finished, others are fledgling ideas waiting to develop...

I Heart David McKee

So, you all probably read Design Sponge, right? In which case, there's a good chance you saw this site, illustrated in full colour throughout featured yesterday? He's on a enviable quest to find 100 examples of beautiful illustration, do go over and have a look, all kinds of wonderful await you.

I saw there that he has Not Now, Bernard by David McKee in his upcoming pile, which we have (it's a very forlorn tale due to dismal parenting skills), but we also have this one, I Hate My Teddy Bear (which we call I Don't Really Like My Teddy Bear because Iris is two and hate is not a concept I feel quite ready to embark on explaining or encouraging).

Anyway I digress, it was published in 1982, two years after Not Now.. and it is quite possibly the most bonkers book ever. Where to begin?

Well, there is an inexplicable recurring motif of people carrying huge hands and feet throughout the book. David McKee is really a master of detail, for example on the second page, the childrens' mothers are sitting on the sofa, one of them is weeping whilst the other is holding a letter and a photograph of a bearded man. On almost every page there are people engaged in cloak and dagger conversations, men in KGB-esque overcoats and women holding books, photographs or balls of string and much much more.

I rather love it, it's so funny, surreal, dark and intriguing. Iris seems to like it too, today she said in a very matter-of-fact voice, 'There's a hand, there's a hand, there's a hand and there's a foot.' Well, quite.

There's (a hand, oops, sorry) skewed perspective aplenty and so much to absorb and engross you. This is a quote of his, from an interview I found, "I have always said I enjoy writing for the adult the child will be, and the child the adult still is.” Marvellous and so true!

I really can't believe Elmer is his most successful character!











Look at her mask, aiiiiiiiiii!

In The City, It's Alright - Part 2

So, naturally over the weekend, I did a bit of shopping.

We helped Dicky find some clothes for his Bearcraft video which he'll be shooting in a couple of weeks. We madly shopped in a vintage shop minutes before it closed on Saturday evening and then returned to Brick Lane for another go on Sunday. All of which was highly enjoyable. And I was lucky enough to be given a beautiful owl by Jessica.

Here's what came home with me...



Bright paper garlands from a party shop.



Pinata blindfold, also from the party shop. So pretty, it was impossible to resist.



Ric Rac and red & white trim from a wonderful haberdashers round the corner from Jessica's flat.



Groovy stickers & exercise book from a proper traditional stationers. And some Sharpies from American Apparel! Excitement!



A Miffy clog money box from a street seller on Brick Lane. For Iris naturally.



My beautiful new owl. I love him, he has such an owlish expression.

And lastly, another gratuitous blossom shot, because, well, just because...

In The City, It's Alright - Part 1

We're back from our little jaunt to London, staying with dear and talented friends, Jessica and Dicky. It wasn't long enough, of course, it never is.

But there was fun to be had and by jove, we had it.

Highlights included, late night feasts, a morning walk, Vietnamese food, too much cake, excitable shopping, stationery shops, new pens, haberdashers, paper garlands, vintage dresses, a picnic, lots of laughing, cheese and a dog with mango on his head (you can see more of everything here) - thank you for having us, it was wonderful.

I'll post Part 2 - the shopping tomorrow...









Jessica made the Tory Wives Nesting Doll Set seen here, Christine's my fave...

Lovely Puffins and Other Things

A restrained offering after the heady and dizzying heights of the Easter weekend. A few vintage Puffin paperbacks for when Iris is (much) older, but I figure it's better to be prepared, eh?

I've never read Stig of The Dump. Until I do, I'll definitely be enjoying the cover, the illustrations are by Edward Ardizzone.


Stig of The Dump by Clive King, illustrated by Edward Ardizzone. Published 1963.

This was one of my favourite childhood books, it's so funny and heart-warming. And this copy has the reassuringly weathered feel of a book that has been read over and over again.


Danny, Champion of the World, by Roald Dahl, illustrated by Jill Bennett. Published 1975.

And actually, they're not all for the future, Tell Me A Story has a nice mix of stories, verse and finger rhymes. Not to mentioned the sweetest, most charming drawings, I'm almost tempted to curl up with it now...






Tell Me A Story - A Collection for The Under-Fives, selected by Eileen Colwell, illustrated by Judith Bledsoe, published in 1962.

And a Picture Puffin for right now, The Rain Puddle. It's illustrated by Roger Duvoisin who wrote The Happy Lion series, which are also wonderful.






The Rain Puddle by Adelaide Holl, pictures by Roger Duvoisin, published 1965.

The cherry tree on our road is just starting to break out in the most fantastic pink pom-pom blossom - look!





And, lastly, on another frivolous and joyful note, look at these ice cream cones, filled with ice-cream-scented (strawberry, chocolate, mint and vanilla) bubbles. Amazing, and they actually all smell delicious. I'm not sure who loves them more, Iris or me...



We're off to London for the weekend, got tickets to see Bat for Lashes tomorrow, so I'll be back with exciting tales next week. Happy weekend!