Monday 22 April 2013

A Random Selection

It was a good week last week and a lovely sunny weekend. I have taken loads of photos but have not felt like blogging much. I don't know why, but I have been using my time in other ways instead! 

CATS
Early morning expedition.......
Late night contemplation...
They love the position of the fridge door holding chair. 
Tiger makes her feelings clear.
Lily discovers a ball of wool.

SKIES
Moody background to noisy building.
Bright blue to show off the yellow catkins.
Cloud and sun.
This sky is so liquid looking. A heron flew over when it was like this. They make a kind of weird quacking noise. At least I think it was a heron. The photo I took was so small it was a speck, but it looked like one to me.

MADE THINGS
Little felt horse-pattern from an eighties soft toy book. I have a good collection of old toy making books and they are full of great ideas and advice.
Alstroemeria painting on old postcard.

I have been looking for a stool to crochet a cover for, since seeing and liking so many on the internet. I finally found one in Rye in the holidays and have now finished the cover. I chose colours that go with our rugs. I really like it. I have another little stool  to cover too and I want to re-do the kitchen chairs so they may get the crochet treatment too.
 Appliqué teacup for a zipped bag I made this weekend. After being sent this tutorial  on So Sew Something by Tracy (thanks Tracy!) I can now do lined zipped bags. I have only made a couple but they are fairly easy and fun.

Another old toy book idea-this one from 1941. (Make Your Own Soft Toys by Ruby Evans. A Woman's Magazine handbook) It was 50p in Rye-due I think to the poor state of the cover and first few pages-a lot of pencil colouring! But it is full of sweet ideas and useful information.

"If your taste runs to quaint and amusing mascots, you will like to produce long-legged dolls, lucky cats and other comical creatures. All kinds will be welcomed as gifts, and, if you are interested-as so many of us are-in a bazaar or sale-of-work, you will find that well-made toys have a ready sale, and show a generous profit over cost of materials.
 Aim always at natural and pleasant-looking toys. The days of ugly and grotesque toys are fortunately over, and we find it much better to let our animal toys resemble their living counterparts as closely as possible."

I would love to know more about the days of ugly and grotesque toys! It is interesting how she is writing about selling toys. Nothing much changes does it?!

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

Love the pictures, especially the cats. I haven't blogged much lately either. for me things seem to go in cycles though I do make an effort from time to time. Hope you are having a good day Sarah!

Leenie said...

Why sit at a computer blogging when you have soft kitties purring over fuzzy wool, or catkins blooming under blue-blue skies, or dozens of fun projects in progress? Still, I'm selfishly glad you stopped by for a visit.

Janine said...

Wonderful photos Sarah! Love them!

Thanks for visiting my blog and leaving comment!

Shell said...

I took a break from blogging for a month. Sometimes, you need to let your creativity go exploring in other places. I like all the pictures, especially of the cats. Makes me miss having a cat around my home.

Relyn Lawson said...

I love the title of the noisy building. It's the perfect way to describe the contrast of the image.

Tracy said...

FUN to see all you're up to, Sarah! LOVE the felt horse and all your fiber art in progress. That applique tea cup is lovely! And, of course, gotta love the kitties! ;o) These days my own posts are shorter, more visual. I'm in the studio a lot with all sorts. I find I do more when I'm not online so much...LOL! Happy Days ((HUGS))

Jenny Woolf said...

Oh, cool cats! I was photographing so many beautiful cats on my recent trip to Greece. And catkins too. This is a lovely mixture of images and thoughts.

elizabeth said...

Hi Sarah!
sorry I haven't visited for ages.
Love those chubby pussy cats in the garden
and the catkins.
I har you are having nice weather at last!
Happy weekend!

Linda Sue said...

I wish you could bring your cats over to our house! I LOVE them! I understand about finding other things to do rather than blogging- I have been swept up doing shop things and trying to claim order in this life...it so far has been not successful but keeps me out of trouble, a little bit...Spring went away today and winterish weather returned though the birds are unaware, they just chirp about their business and make eggs as though the future is right around the next rain storm...they know things, those birds...