Saturday 18 June 2016

Photos I like

Just a random selection, mainly from recently, that I like. 
 Tiger and Cassie enjoying the sun. 
 Garden junk. 
 Lily also enjoying the sun. 
 Fluffy sky. 
 Charity shop bargain necklace on free manikin. 
 Cassie staring outside. 
 Cheap mirror being distressed with paint stripper then bleach.
 I went a bit overboard with the bleach so it has a blobby effect. I was aiming more for a splatter.
 Shells on the hearth. 
 Rosie the kitten at Andy's brother's.
 Pink bus to Pimlico. 
 Lily being cute. 
Can't remember when this was from. Might be the Christmas before last when Maidstone was flooded.

Friday 3 June 2016

Broadstairs

Same day, different town. Whilst still in Margate, we had a naughty but delicious McDonald's for lunch, including cheese balls which are yummy-fried mozzarella-don't eat too much of it-but a little-mmm! Then we pootled along to Broadstairs, and, after driving around it about four times, found somewhere to park. We wandered again, few charity shops, a wool shop (for me-I needed orange!), and one antique shop, where I bought a small green hare to go in my collection of rabbits. He feels at home though. 
I love this elephant n the window of an Indian restaurant. 
This old shop front is beautiful too. 
And the garage-something out of the 1930s.
Sweet cat, waiting to be let in by his people, so not very interested in me, but did at least sit still for his picture.
Red relics near the seafront. The seafront looks lovely but is for another day. 
I liked Broadstairs more than Margate, but both had good wandering and taking pictures potential. Fun day!

Margate

Out with my friend today-back down to Thanet to investigate Margate and the junk shops I read about on the internet. We parked behind Dreamland, the amusement park. I have used Kim Klassen layers on my photos to make them look kind of seaside and old. Thank you again Kim Klassen! It is a funny place. Very run down in  the main town, then you get to the 'old town' and it is all posh shops and, dare I say it, rip off vintage. Some of the vintage shops had very nice stuff, but all pretty expensive-already chosen and curated by someone else so there is nothing left to find. Not my favourite type of second hand shopping, but interesting. The best thing was the architecture, sign writing and the wandering somewhere we didn't know. 
Dreamland
The block of flats behind the theme park has a wave shaped front. Although pretty ugly looking, I like the wave shapes.
Clock tower, without a bus, large car or anything else in front of it-timing is everything!
Plastic sign. Cheerful and clear and I like the metal fish suspending it. 
Beautiful cast iron street sign. 
I now realise I have only partially covered this photo with the layer! Oh well. This is part of the front of an amazing old pub, now of course shut, called 'The Man of Kent'. It is soon to be a supermarket. I didn't get a very clear shot of any of it really, but you can get a flavour of it. Each side had these tiled pictures, a Chinese man and woman. Really lovely.
We couldn't find the alleged junk shops for ages, and wandered amongst the Greggs, McDonald's, and slightly drunk and menacing in the morning people, but then the old town appeared.
This is New Cross Street, a home from home. 
Great signs. 
Cute rabbit. 
Nice letters. £43 each. Didn't come home with me. 
Derelict building next to the carpark. Looks more scary with the effect on it but looked quite bad in real life. We went in one shop where my friend bought an embroidered cushion cover and I tried on a leather jacket (not really my thing but it was nice-too big luckily) The shop lady had been open a week. Margate seems to be going through a bit of a transformation, but I am not sure if I like it. All the vintage shops have signs saying that they deliver to London-hmmm, rich Londoners coming down to buy 'vintage' stuff. Or perhaps I should attempt to buy a shop there and start a new life. Probably not!

Wednesday 1 June 2016

Kachina Doll

I started this Kachina doll a long time ago, and forgot about it. It only took about an hour to finish, as I just had the feet to do, and a little sewing. He is 'The Morning Singer' which is a lovely name.  The dolls are made by the Hopi people in Northern Arizona and represent spirits. I think they are beautiful. Apparently, Hopi literally means a person who behaves in a polite and peaceful way. We need many more of those. The traditional ones are carved from the roots of the Cottonwood tree. Mine is crocheted! 
 He is having to cling on to the edge of this shelf, where other dolls live. He doesn't mind too much.
In other news, I finished my reports. I am free! Until Tuesday anyway.