Mr Sunshine on my shoulder...

as i tippity tap this postcard i am looking around my studio, all spick & span from its clear up a week or so ago,

 but i am also overlooking the front yard & in doing so i am acutely aware of our front door, literally below the floor my swivelly chair is sitting upon. yesterday i ventured out to see my paint man, to discuss the merits of door paint, to gloss or not to gloss, which led to 'dye or not to dye' one's hair which led to the subject of tattoos & adding jewels to your body bits. i left with my lovely blue paint chosen ready for pick up today & far more knowledge of my paint mans 'likes and dislikes' in the aforementioned subject then i think i cared to know.

so i think it only fair to my little front door & Mr Sunshine high in the sky, i leave my studio for today to its spickety span self & step outside, sandpaper & undercoat in hand, & make a start on giving it a lovely fresh happy coat in preparation of greeting the arrival of Mr Spring.

however before i do, just a last note to say i am delighted by your need to rescue little trinkets filled with lavender & other whatnots along the same line. it is a worthy occupation & most fitting to one such as yourself & her granny chic soul

cheerio for now my fine friend

fondest thoughts 

Panini

x

somehow....

no longer does the lavender smell lovely but more musty & the tops are tarnished or strings broken but they call out to me as I scan the shelves....I am quite sure that you know exactly the madness I am talking about my dear friend & I fear that quite soon there will be far too many scattered around my abode gathering snippy comments from the other members of the household....but what can you do!

well my old pal dinner is bubbling on the stove and the children are hounding me for their tea so I'l say cheerio for now and I hope as you pottle around the shed today all is fine & dandy....

Bernina xox

a most splendid thrifty find of yesterday...

you see it does involve a bit of a tale, so perhaps it might be best to pop the kettle on & settle in for a bit. many moons ago when we left the shores of Old Blighty & sailed forth to living our lives Stateside, i left behind many many treasures. i do believe Bernina you would gasp at what i said goodbye to, collections of beveled mirrors, old wooden post beds for children painted in bright glossy vintage yellow, oh alsorts that i care not to recall for it makes my heart rather saddened somewhat. one such lost love was an old wooden floor lamp, the most beautiful wood turned post & a base of roundie goodness. a top its lovely long leg was a lampshade, patched & pieced with vintage fabrics. how interesting that 12 years on, i still love a patched & pieced lampshade! the best handmade things always remain just that, don't they.

over the past few years i have begun searching for another such floor lamp, on the times they have found me, they have either been reproductions of a dodgy kind, or indeed come with a hefty swinging price tag at an antique dealers. so i have waited & bided my time & yesterday my patience was rewarded. i was not supposed to be going to the thrift store, but with my emails on the blink, my sanity close to being lost, i felt it would be wise to clear my cogs & go for a pottle. i rounded the corner & gasped, on close inspection i questioned if i was wishing for one that came with a little table. a true 'table lamp' i think you will agree! he had no light bulb, i questioned his iffy-ness of working. another lamp close by, very kindly lent me his bulb. i then found a plug socket lurking in the back of the store, plugged him in, closed my eyes & flicked the switch... & as you well know, that was the moment, glory shone all around.

i took my fine friend to the till, handed over the princely sum of $15 and rushed him back to the shed to find him a suitable hat. upon which i stood back & pondered "to paint, or not to paint". as his wood colour was not of great beauty i decided to paint, & then B, i decided to throw all caution to the wind & not paint my usual white gloss but go with the fabby greeny turquoise of my dresser. 

i am so delighted with my newly painted friend, my man on the other hand is being most reserved with his delight but i know secretly, deep deep down inside his doubter's heart, he is marveling at my most splendid thrifty find of yesterday!

happy days to you & your clan

fondest thoughts

Panini

x

its seems

which is a huge relief as you know I need everything to be ship shape for the upcoming photo shoot..I had a little thrifting focus at one of my favourite charity shops yesterday & i found a frame suitable for my cup shelves so out came the tools....screws, nails & tape measure and off I went.

I did indulge in a glass of wine whilst piecing my bits together & made the fatal mistake of only measuring once....obviously resulting in a slight discrepancy in length of the shelf....thank goodness for filler!

Then I couldn't decide on colour...pea green or oval room blue predictably enough I went with green why I should consider an alternative is beyond me

SO the shelves are filling up nicely but I feel like a rest on the sofa is inevitable as my head is rather blurred & swimmy, a bit like my photos today ...well I hope that your day is peachy & bright and I was quite smitten with your glossy white new but old table it is quite perfect in that kitchen nook

your dear frien Bernina xox

the small miracle of 'roundie' goodness...

i think it quite true to say, i have not felt so moved to 'tears of crafting joy', since the time i mastered granny squares & made a cushion of crocheted granny goodness. 

reminded by my roundie true love of this moment, i had a few years back, it once again reminded me of yet another thought i have had on many an occasion (are you still following me B?!). the thing is, quite simply put & i know you will agree, there is nothing in this here world, quite like the wonder of making with your own hands is there Bernina? 

the marvel of taking a few scraps of fabric, or balls of yarn & hook, and after a little time spent wisely, you hold in your hands 'handcrafted goodness'. Bernina, truly, some days when i craft and i step back, it is like the closest thing to a spiritual moment i have ever come. 

i can look at a little gathering of handmade~ness within our shed and it always has the power to make me pause for a moment, reflect on being thankful for the ability to craft, and for the fine friends that being crafty has bought into my life... ha! you can see just how moved this roundie miracle has me today

my dearest B, you and your crafty soul are the bees knees to me, i thank you kindly for my wonderful tea & cake earlier in the week & for lending a helping crafty hand to set me on the righteous & goodly path of roundie cushion making.

your friend always

Panini 

x

ps. just a note to say i penned this postcard with two lads close by & thus my ability to string my thoughts together was greatly impeded, i think you will know that feeling quite well :)

nothing says granny like a victoria sponge...

SO although you are not here and I am not there I have baked us a cake & brewed a nice pot of yorkshire tea & set you a place whilst I pen this postcard and catch up with your news...

Finally the ice has melted & the taps unfrozen so my day hasn't been taken up with animal husbandry & checking that straw beds are snug & cozy....The hens had decided that they were not leaving their house under any circumstances & I have been worrying so over my bees but after stuffing fondant in through the crown board saw some movement so they are still alive....Honestly I never thought that insects could cause me such worry.....

I have been beavering away on a new bag design & am very happy with my first sample & it has given me the chance to use some of my granny sofa fabric......you know the short pile blue chenille flowery sofa that every granny owns. I will post you a picture soon.

I also went for a browse into town this morning & got a huge pile of lacy goodness for a bargain price, but I must admit I am quite green at your lovely finds I have quite a fancy for some of those plastic kitschy baskets...

Well the cake has been polished off & the cup drained so it is time to say cheerio my friend and I hope your day is peachy & bright and that the dreaded mr lurgy has been shown the door as his visit is indeed most unwelcome

fondest wishes

bernina xox

comings, goings & dabblings...

i am wondering if your clan are on half term this week? we do not have a whole week but my lads will have a few days off closer to the weekend. in between all the comings & goings i have managed to dabble with a little bit of hand stitching, i am pondering if i will hang it in the store window tomorrow.

not a lot of other news, however one thing did come to mind as i was penning this postcard. i think i failed to tell you of my thrifty friday jolly & the finds i found! gosh, how could that have nearly slipped my mind! i had quite good luck with some lovely sheets & pillowcases, plus 2 wonderful kitschy plastic baskets & a rose decaled tin worthy of any granny & her stash of humbugs.

but the thing which made my little heart skip a beat, was a milk glass lamp~base. on close inspection it truly looks like it once was a vase & handmade into a lamp~base. i was so delighted by this find as i know it is just the sort of lamp~base a granny would have by her bed. 

i shall bide my time & in years to come when i have such a peachy title bestowed upon my shoulders, taking my promotion of grannyhood most seriously, i will place this little lamp beside my bed & be sure to fill my rose tin full of humbugs to offer to my grandchildren

well my dear, i hope you are well & life is quite dandy in your farmhouse, days can surely drag this time of year & i am most thankful i have you as my postcard penfriend to cheer up the short days & long nights

fondest thoughts

love

Panini x