The place where I live......printing.

I like where I live. Which is handy really, as this is where we are planning to stay - for ever!

The reason I chose this place over other similar areas in MK was the Green with the municipal clock. The varied arrangement of Victorian Terrace houses, different on every street, some streets changing style of house in every block as different builders put them up.

And there are some lovely quirky buildings, this one used to be a one-room drinking house.

And one of these was the butchers.

So to the great embarrassment of my boys (you can just see one running off and one bobbing down trying not to be seen!) on the way home from school last week I took a few pictures to use as inspiration for a print project.

I played around in the sketchbook and carved some soft-cut lino.

 Then got a bit carried away with the different ways I could use these two blocks.

 

I'm not entirely sure how I am going to use the ideas, I did purchase some System 3 Textile medium, which might be the answer, but I just enjoyed playing and repeating the images.

There is a windmill in the village too, so there is room for a quirky addition to the scene, lucky us!

November garden

Occasionally I take pictures of things in our tiny garden, we had a tidy up at the weekend and everything is bare, but thankfully there are a couple of treasures to be seen still.

The big beautiful heads of an artichoke......

The studding purple berries of some shrub I cannot remember it's name - no use to anyone I know, sorry. It's just a haze of purple that stays all winter if we are lucky, I love it!

.....and a passion flower, we only had 3 flowers this year so this one is an added bonus to a cold, grey November day in Milton Keynes.

These are on their way out, but still add some lovely yellow to a corner.

Purple and artichokes......just to finish off the day. xx

The Stony Report

In spite of the first grey day for a long while, the rain held off on Saturday in Stony Stratford (for those interested, it was the setting for that iconic film "Withnail and I").....a lovely traditional town with fabulous high street full of independent shops........and a great Georgian Community Building York Hall!

Foot flow was steady, but very enthusiastic and I think most sellers had a good day. 

Here are some pics borrowed from a Facebook album, by Neighbourhood Laundry :)

Better plug my own work first.......it would be rude not too!

Making draft excluders, as you do! Lovely vintage fabrics.

This lady is a neighbour of mine and we had no idea we both did these events until Saturday  "hello Lizzie" :)

This brave man stood outside all day, brave indeed, but he looks happy enough.

A quiet moment, but you ca see how lovely the hall looked and a corner of my stall with a rather lovely display of gingerbread trees in an old wooden crate.

......lots of eclectic sellers with lovely tempting delights and there is a very cute folding table hiding under here that I purchased - so cute it had to come home with me.

Looking forward to Market Harborough on the 19th, I certainly love this mix of Handmade AND Vintage, you get a lovely class of customer - haha! 

Jane x

Remember, remember - the 5th of November!

haha..... a Christmas fair in Stony Stratford (what else could there be?)

A new venture and outing for some lovely Pre-loved sellers in Milton Keynes and they invited me to their party on Saturday :)

I've got a new range of shrinky cameo's.....

A delicious collection of gingerbread smelling ornaments!

and a few new festive decorations, some smell, some don't!

Hope to see some of you there.....

Jane x

Lovely day in Northampton

......and we managed to dodge the showers of rain!

As advertised, I wandered up to Northampton on Saturday for the 6th Northampton Vintage and Handmade at St Matthew's Parish Centre. Organised by Trevor and Ann, it was the first time I had been there and it was delightful I am pleased to report.

A lovely standard of sellers, with an eclectic range of wear and treasure.

I neglected to take any photo's of my table, let alone anyone else's. So I have borrowed this one from the NorthamptonVintagefair Blog, you can see other stalls and up and coming events there too.

My new Gingerbread trees (at the top of the picture) went down a storm I'm delighted to say, I shall be increasing the 'winter' range for Olney and Market Harbough, coming up in October and November......and the Christmas delights will be making an appearance there too.

Coming up soon......

Coming up next weekend in Northampton, a Vintage and Homemade event, the 6th no less. However, this is the first one Smallbeans will have attended.

Lots to make and do for this event, hope to see you there too!

Happy trees get bigger

For the last couple of days, I have been playing around with celebration 'happy trees'.

Hatching and Matching are easy to celebrate - dispatching?? Celebrate a life in a standing felt tree? I think it's a lovely idea, what do you think?

This one I have made to celebrate 20 years with my husband, 16 years married, but I wanted to go for the 20 year marker with the tree.

Made to order and listed in my smallbeans Etsy shop, I cannot wait to make some seasonal variations for special arrivals and partnerships - let's celebrate!

Here is a wedding version, a small tree, embroidered with the colours of a wedding, and the love birds themselves of course. (and there we are in the picture, July 1995)

Vintage inspired embroidery, and the year of the wedding, bride and groom names on the reverse.

These ones I have made for the children, retrospectively marking their arrivals.

They are stuffed with lavender, so not only mark a special occasion, they smell lovely too.

I also made one for my sisters birthday last week, but just embroidered the day and month, we don't need to be reminded about the year do we Helen?? x