Chairs and Dolls and How to spend Sunday

This doll is Victorian, and was on the Antiques Roadshow tonight. She was in this case as a display item and could not be removed. Her clothes are really detailed and her face is so sweet. I have not felt inspired to make a doll for a while, but I really like this one, and may be inspired by her. The expert commenting on this doll said that she was worth about £800, but she would be worth more if she was just the doll rather than standing in the case, as doll collectors like to 'cuddle their dolls'. I refute this assertion! Well personally anyway. I do like to pick them up, photograph them and admire them, but I draw the line at cuddling! There were also these chairs, which were perfectly doll sized. They were samples by a furniture maker, and worth between £700 and £1000 each. There were a few more but the picture I took was too blurry. Antiques roadshow is one recommendation for how to spend a Sunday. Especially a Halloween Sunday when the clocks have gone back and it is dark so early. I re- listened to a really creepy radio 4 play too, but other than that spent the whole day either reading or painting. Really lazy but relaxing.

These little dolls are from Greenwich market on Thursday-for a bargain price-there are eight of them in four matching pairs. I really like their simple shapes and have been painting them onto old postcards. I have collected loads of old postcards for this very purpose so am pleased to have done a few. The little chair was also from the market-a number of small plastic dolls house items were bought-one day I will get around to arranging everything in the houses.

I also made a crumble. I did not have enough fruit so it is a strange cakey/biscuity crumble-but tasty. My cooking tip is not the whole recipe, but how to do the fruit. It is from a couple of recipes I found and gives a toffee like taste. All you do is caramelise some sugar then cook your fruit in that. It makes the fruit even more delicious. You also add some lemon juice and zest. I also used allspice and ginger. I wanted cinnamon but we had run out. What the recipes do not say is that when you add the fruit, and juice to the caramel it will spit and hiss and some solid lumps of sugary brittle will be formed. It all comes out alright in the end though!

Here are the postcards. I love how the little bright paintings look, against the worn and faded backgrounds.

Do you think if I had to walk to work past this view of the Tiber in the morning, that getting up for work on a Monday would be any easier? Probably not. Isn't it lovely? I was surprised at the river-well the little bit of it we saw. Compared to the Thames it is so tranquil and small. It looks inviting enough for a swim-which I would not say about the Thames! Have a good week!