MIAM

MIAM

Tuesday 28 October 2014

Read All About It

Just dropping by with one last, very simple card made at the weekend for this week's Less Is More challenge, where the brief is newsprint.  


Items used
page from an Italian book 
Shabby Shutters DI 
Pear Tart Memento Ink
Crafts Too embossing folder
card and button from my stash.



I say one last card as this will be my final post for a while, I'm taking a blogging sabbatical.
I've been feeling ambivalent towards my blog lately, while it started life as a vehicle for me to enter card challenges, it has evolved into something a bit different and largely it's purpose now is recording my life.  It's a useful tool to mark events and everyday happenings also, which I like to look back at. But everyday happenings are not terribly exciting ....people don't want to hear about my blocked gutters and knackered oven do they?  I struggle to write about stuff when life is...well, just ordinary and I don't want it to feel like a chore.  So I'm taking a break for a few weeks, possibly months, in the hope that a hiatus will give me the impetus and renewed enthusiasm that I feel I am in need of.  I shall still be coming by to see all of you of course, I'm far too nosy to give that up!  Big thanks to all of you out there for reading so far,  I hope you'll all hang in there with me but guess that's a risk I'll have to take.

Ciao for now
x

Tuesday 21 October 2014

Wonder Walsall

With train tickets booked, ditto hotel, it was off to Walsall I went.  Saturday saw the long awaited Bloggers Day Out, hosted by Vix in her Black Country home town.   She arrived bright and early at the Premier Inn (excellent btw if you're thinking of a stay in Walsall) and we headed off to the station to meet Lyndsey, Curtise, Annie and Em.  Shortly afterwards Gisela, Tania and her friend Vanessa arrived and once fortified by Costa we marched off to the now legendary Second To None for a secondhand shopping experience like no other.


Inside was a veritable treasure trove of vintage vetements, the like of which I'd never seen before. The shop is packed to the gunwales with garments from Victorian times to the 80's and just when I thought we'd rummaged through it all we found another two rooms with rails crammed full of yesteryear's clobber and all at a reasonable price too.

Time flew as we delved through the rails and tried on frocks, skirts, bikini!- to enhance the experience our kindly hostess thoughtfully provided us with a lovely libation.  Two hours later here we all are, exceedingly satisfied with our purchases.

L-R Vix, Vanessa, Tania, Curtise, Gisela, Emma, Lyndsey and Annie

Next stop was Wetherspoons for lunch.  A grand building, St Matthew's Hall was once Walsall's library, the bookshelves now providing an attractive backdrop for more snaps.

 


These wonderful women agreed to a close-up, here's Em with her great skin... and nails, glorious redhead Curtise and sparkletastic Tania. Thanks girls.


After the best value lunch ever we hit the charity shops...

... the trimmings stall at the market, the old fashioned sweet shop and the Asian beauty store.

Pom-poms were in high demand and at that price, no wonder!

There's loads of attractions to explore in Walsall as this curious child discovered...


 the Leather Museum, (Walsall is the traditional home of the English saddle manufacturing industry)  the New Art Gallery and Arboretum to name a few.  We hardly scratched the surface of what the town has to offer, a good excuse to return eh?


After one more trip to the pub, (it would have been rude not to) it was time to say our goodbyes.
It had been a day of great company, lots of laughs and fantastic shopping.  I urge you all to try a bloggers meet-up,  if it's anything like ours you'll have a bloody good time. 


Oh and just in case you're interested in seeing what I bought..

  70's wraparound block printed skirt

 70's block printed maxi

Didn't I do well?

Linking for the first time to Patti's Visible Monday

Sunday 5 October 2014

Autumn's Bounty

It's been an ordinary sort of week, work, odd jobs, housework, oh and a couple of finds.  Yesterday I had to visit Argos, the hoover was not firing on all cylinders shall we say and a replacement was urgently needed. An hour later the new model was sucking up like a.... sycophant (?) and boy did I need it!  Judging by the amount of filth and cat hair in the dust container, the efficacy of my previous vac must have been about 5%.  One thing's certain, I'm never going to be asthmatic if I can withstand that amount of muck.  How shameful!  Anyway enough about domestic appliances and onto my latest make for this week's Less Is More challenge where the brief is Autumn's Bounty

Items used:
Stampin' Up image
sentiment by Hero Arts
various marker pens and ink pads
clear embossing powder
household bleach

You might wonder why I made an xmas card.  I need xmas cards so this is another one for my stash and fir cones are part of autumn's bounty aren't they?  LIM ladies, if you disagree feel free to disqualify me.
Also linking to Stamplorations - Stamping and Embossing challenge.
                                 Time Out challenge - Stamping (with a twist)

All this talk of autumn's bounty brings to mind my latest charity shop find...

70's frock, very Abigail's Party don'tcha think? hospice chazza £3

....and yesterday's jumble sale bargain

picture (bought for frame) £2

I had my French film poster in mind when I saw this frame although I had no idea if it was the right size, I took a punt as it was so cheap.  By an amazing coincidence the frame is perfect for it so I'm very happy indeed.  Quelle Chance!

All this waffling on won't get the lawns mowed will it?  This little fella joined me in the garden earlier this week, I wonder if he'll be back today?