Before & After: Scooter

I entrusted the hubby with item shopping the other week. Due to being back in the National Trust open season, I don't get a free Sunday to go car booting anymore, instead I send the hubby with a wad of cash and ask him to shop wisely! And he didn't let me down, one of the items he returned with was this fantastic scooter. Yes, it was a bit rusty and dirty but it has a great shape and colour to it.

The right half of the chrome wheel has been treated with Autosol

I decided to try out a new product on the metal surface called Autosol. Autosol has been around for a while but this is the first time I have used it - we used to use something similar in conservation called Prelim. It is basically an abrasive paste that has certain chemical qualities to it, you wipe the paste on to the surface, I then used the rough side of a sponge to work it in, and then you wipe it off with a clean cloth. It worked a treat at removing the corrosion, and with a little extra cleaning and treatment of the metal the scooter has come up looking fab.

I would love to keep this fella but I sense I would be laughed at if seen scootering down the street - a fully grown women on a kids purple scooter! But I think it will draw some great attention at our next market, particularly when placed in my out-door camping display, with a garden lounger, bowls set, thermos, etc.

I would definitely recommend giving Autosol a try on any of your rusty metal but remember to wear protective gloves, use in a ventilated area and be careful not to work it too roughly into the surface as it may damage surfaces under the corrosion layer.
xx

Allotment: Double Digging

We worked really hard on the allotment at the weekend in order to get a bed ready for all our soft fruits. Things like raspberries, blackberries, rhubarb, etc. all take a year or two to settle and produce decent fruit - so the sooner we get them in the sooner we will be enjoying plenty of vitamins! Because we are a bit late in the growing season we have also planted some potatoes in grow bags so that we will have something to harvest later in the year. The plot does look a bit messy at the moment but give me another year and it will look amazing - fencing, a shed, proper pathways, edging for the beds, etc. etc.

The only problem we have with our plot is that the soil is clay! Clay is great as it contains lots of nutrients but it locks in a lot of water and can be too dense/heavy for certain plants (plus it is really heavy and hard work!). Root vegetables like potatoes, parsnips, etc. that all have deep rooting systems require something a bit lighter.

However, there is a way to help make clay soil more suitable - Double Digging.

Image sourced from HERE

The diagram above illustrates how to 'double dig' but some basic instructions are:

1. Section off the area of your bed
2. Start at one end, remove a strip of the turf and place to one side.
3. Remove a spades depth of the earth which you have just exposed and place the earth to one side
4. Using a fork or soil turner loosen up the bottom layer of earth
5. Then start on your second strip. Remove the turf and place upside down on the earth you have just forked over
6. Fork over the upside down turf just to loosen it up a bit
7. Then remove a spades depth of earth and place on top of the upside down turf
8. Keep repeating the process until you have covered the entire area of your bed. You should have a gap at the end which you can place the turf and earth that you removed from the first strip
9. You are done - have a cuppa!

This technique does take longer than just digging over the surface but the advantage is that you aerate the soil and once the turf under the soil has rotted it will add some nutrients. You can even add extra manure and things like grit and natural waste during the digging process to help with soils types such as Clay.

So, hard work but it will be worth it in the future when we have fantastic soil that we can grow anything in! Just another 3 beds to go....
xx

New Item Friday

Head over to the shop HERE

I have been on the Babycham this week, hence why my items today have taken an unconscious cocktail theme! For any one not aware of what Babycham is, it is a sparking alcoholic beverage made from pears but is actually referred to as a sparkling perry. They actually make it down the road from us in Shepton Mallet and it comes in little tiny bottles with the most fantastic iconic Bambi logo which oozes retro appeal.

Image sourced from HERE

It hasn't been a particularly rough week but with small amounts of sun coming out I have been fancying a nice sparkling drink after a long day at work. I have been very busy though! We are attending a very exciting 20th Century Fair this Sunday at Ashton Gate Stadium in Bristol, and I have taken the (financial and spiritual) leap of booking a double pitch. This means I have room for even more goodies to show off, but then I realised it meant I had double the amount of items to sort out! Thankfully I am all sorted and packed, I can enjoy a nice Babycham this evening whilst wandering the Internet, meander down the allotment tomorrow and plant some soft fruits, so that I am fully charged for the chaos that will be Sunday!

If you happen to be in Bristol on Sunday please come down and visit us at Ashton Gate Stadium!
Have a lovely weekend
xx

57 years ago today...

Another Hobbies Weekly for you today. Highlights from this issue are:

• How to make a novel rack for scissors
• Canework basketry
• How to make a brick pedestal sun dial
• How to get a perfect finish with varnish
• Idea for a party centre piece

P.S. Please remember that this is a vintage magazine so some of the materials used may no longer be suitable or comply with current heath and safety regulations. Please be careful and check out all materials for modern equivalents. We can not be held liable for any injuries incurred, but please don't injure yourself!

Colour Inspiration: Pink

I decided the bedroom needed a little brightening up with spring being upon us, but as with most rented places, I can't paint the walls or hang too many pictures. Plus I don't want to spend any money, the allotment needs all my funds at the moment, so what to do?

I decided to change the bedding, I put a pink throw over the entire bed and used a nice stripey one as a footer. But I'm not convinced with the results. I'm not really a pink kind of person, and the jury is still out on my current bedroom arrangements, but it got me thinking about where pink can be a real asset in a room.

A soft pink can add a really nice 30s/40s feel to a room

Take a risk and go for neon pink statement pieces teamed with turquoise

How about a pink and orange floor - the bold paint colour
 and white accessories helps balance the room

Pink and orange can give a really exotic and luxurious feel - think
1930s glamour

Or what about a more subtle pink in the form of coral pink - although lets be honest,
there is nothing subtle about this room!

So my advice to you is to be brave with the pink, but for the cautious out there, maybe just a pink accessory or two can help brighten up that room.
xx

Review: iZettle chip and pin

Springy Beard has started taking card payments!

It was one of my aims this year to look into card payment systems, with the hope being that it will expand my clientele and increase my sales, and I have successfully achieved my goal! Unfortunately, being a small business I couldn't really afford the step into a merchant account and fully pimped out chip and pin unit. I started researching other alternatives and got given a tip off about iZettle.

Image sourced from iZettle

iZettle, based in Stockholm, is a social payments company. They have developed devices to bring secure payments anytime, anywhere from person to person and business-to-consumer commerce. All you need is to set up an account, free of charge, order a device (which cost £58.80) and download the iZettle app on to your iphone, ipad or smart phone. The device works through your phone connection via blue tooth and accepts visa, American express, diners club international and master card. For every transaction iZettle will take 2.79% of your takings, so for every £100 they would take £2.79 (or for £1 I think they take 3p). You nominate an account for the money to go into and iZettle do this automatically a few days after each transaction, and send you an email notification.

image sourced from iTunes

HOW IT WORKS:

1. Turn the device on
2. Open the app on your phone
3. On your phone make sure the blue bar on your screen says 'enter card/swipe card' (this means the device and phone have connected). The screen on the device should read 'enter card'
4. On the phone enter the amount of the item, enter a description and even take a quick photo of the item then press charge
5. Hand over the iZettle device to the customer, it will tell them what to do on the screen and you can monitor it on your phone screen
6. Once the payment has gone through on your phone screen it will ask if the customer would like a receipt and you can either print one straight off or email it to the customer
7. And you are done!

THE PROS:

• The device is small
• You can hand the device over to the customer without having to hand over your own personal phone
• It is so easy to use! So easy I had to check the account on-line just to be sure it was all ok!
• The transaction fees are very reasonable
• You can insert a chip and pin card and swipe card
• There is no contract or monthly fees

THE CONS:

• When we first used it the battery didn't last very long but my tip would be to make sure you let it charge over night before using it - I think I was a bit too eager and used it after only a few hours!
• It charges through a USB connection on your laptop or computer but it is very difficult to tell if it is charging
• Obviously it relies on your mobile having a phone signal so if you are in a poor signal zone then you are stuck

I am in love with my iZettle. I like that I only have to pay if I make a sale and the initial £58.80 fee is very reasonable. The device is a really nice size and fits into my money pouch perfectly (yes, when I am at markets I am like a kangaroo with a little pouch). As the initial costs are so low, and you are not tied into any contracts, it is ideal for small businesses. You can even create a store of items in a library on your phone, that way all you need to do is click on the item and hit charge.

image sourced from iTunes

I hope that helps all you small business owners out there.
xx

New Item Friday

Head over to the shop HERE

I have a couple of additions to my Tupperware collection today. My collection of Tupperware is starting to look very impressive - I'm thinking I may have to hold a vintage Tupperware party! I'm thinking I have all my Tupperware on show for people to buy, food made using recipes in my Tupperware cookery book and demonstrations on how to use certain items? What do you think? If only I had a brick and mortar shop I probably could hold that kind of event, but a girl can keep dreaming. (In my dream I am a Tupperware lady in a floral printed dress and beehive - just to help with your own visuals).

I am planning a weekend in the allotment digging and hopefully laying foundations for a shed, with a quick visit to Wells thrown in. I have never been to Wells before but we plan a little jolly on Saturday morning to have a nose around. I hope you all have lovely plans as well? Here's fingers crossed to a bright and sunny weekend!
xx