New Item Friday

Head over to the shop HERE

We are currently house/cat sitting for my parents. I write this whilst sat at the kitchen table, sun shining through the open door, and with a cat on my lap who keeps pestering me for attention. It is actually very difficult to type when you are having to stretch and manoeuvre around a big tabby cat! I sense this may mean there are fewer posts next week (I have images of me being pinned to the bed at night by my parents 3 cats and not being allowed to leave! If you don't hear from me by the middle of May send a rescue party!).

However, as my Mum is lovely she left all manner of tasty treats for us in the house and I think the cake stand above is the perfect addition to the shop to honour her Welsh cakes and Flapjacks. No market this weekend thankfully, but work with the National Trust as usual. I am hoping to enjoy as much sunshine as possible!
Have a lovely weekend.
xx

57 years ago today...

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

• Make a covered wagon electric light
• Make your own negative album
• Make a meat safe
• Designs for toothbrush holders
• How to make a kite

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!

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