'summer apron wrap' give away...

yes!!! it's time for a 'give away'...

i will be leaving you for a few days, as i travel to the east coast to be reunited with our #1 after seven weeks of separation (gulp!), and so i felt it the perfect time to have a little 'summer apron wrap' give away.

i also thought that having little olive come to reside at mossy shed, 300 posts on my wee blog and over 200 sales in my little store was cause for a 'celebratory' offer...

it's so very easy peasy my dearest readers, all you have to do is dig deep into your 'imagination' and locate where you placed the little drawer marked

'creatures i wish to take into my nest and keep warm'

i'm sure we all have a little or big creature that roams this earth, that if 'sensibleness' were no object, we would like to share a life with them.

i shall start the ball rolling but do not fear, i am not going to put my own name in the 'dog bowl' because that would be daft wouldn't it... yes i thought you'd think so.

we shall look upon 'my creature i wish to take into my nest to keep warm' as an example for others to read and perhaps trigger a long lost thought that is in the back of their minds and has been filed away forever and a day.

until this moment that is, when suddenly it all becomes most important and relevant for 'winning' a dottie angel summer apron wrap.

as my nest is rather bulgy at the moment and of course we cannot forget my man has made it quite clear it's full to the max and no room for other 'waifs and strays' that may happen upon our doorstep, my example truly is one of 'wishing' but never actually 'having' (although i must just say, one should never say "never", because i do believe where there's a 'will' there is always a 'way'...)

here goes with mine...

i wish to feather my nest further with two goats, one called gertie and the other called bertie... i know that is rather silly, but quite honestly i do think goats can be rather silly and they prefer to have rhyming names to make them feel super duper silly on days when the weather is miserable, the brambles are in short supply and the TV isn't working so well because no one has bothered to fix the ariel on top of their shed.

a pretty ordinary creature wish i feel,
of course, you lovely lot will have far more interesting 'critter wishes' upon your list, ignoring the practicalities of where you live or the reality of actually owning such a creature, i'm sure you will not disappoint...

if i asked our #4, he would pipe up with a 'narwhal', perfectly understandable as they are rather interesting but of course completely out of the question as i have very little water in my back yard at the mo. come winter time, a small lake appears but it still would not be enough to keep a 'narwhal' happy and content...

so if you fancy winning the 'summer apron wrap' you see before you, just leave your 'creature' comment here, or email me with your 'creature' wish and i will be sure to add it to the dog bowl on my return from Rhode Island and dare i say it... New York with my girls!

and all the time keeping my fingers crossed that the 'one man and two boys' left back at the shed don't forget about little olive and her 'needs'...

she will be back to announce the winner on Thursday 13th August, with tales to tell from the big apple and a whole lot of 'granny chic' loving, till then she wishes you a lovely few days ~ Tif

part 'thrilling' two...

it is such a better day today...several reasons for that.

1. i put my bi-focals away in a drawer and hopefully my short term memory loss will kick in and i will soon forget where i put them and actually, that i even had them in the first place...

i have located an old pair of specs that i use for painting, they are covered in speckles of white and quite frankly i do not care.

my eyes are relieved,

my brain is relieved,

innocent pedestrians are relieved

and my summer wedges are relieved.

2. the sun is shining and it is warming up a treat outside. the chickie peas and i have been out already this morning practising our tai chi.

i fear they are much better at it then myself, although they did get distracted some what by a big slug that happened upon our little gathering. i don't own any tai chi music so i fished out one of my buddha cd's. it's going all rather swimmingly and i actually have retained a few 'moves' in my head now. i am especially good at 'cloud' hands...when i am tai chi-ing, in my little head i could so easily be in 'crouching tiger,hidden dragon'...

i have told my man, he needs to watch out. he may think i am retreating but no, i am taking all his tae kwondo energy and just when he thinks i have weakened and the battle is won, i will retaliate with my 'cloud' hands...

me and my chickies were doing a grand old job but then somebody on my buddha music started doing a 'wailing' thing that was most distracting and i lost my tai chi 'grove' and had to give up.

3. i am finding time today to finish up some apron wraps...the lovely kimberley over at seattle style gave out some 'summer apron wrap' loving last week and it really made my day, perhaps even my week.

but enough of this dilly dallying talk...

and so to 'potholdering'...my latest weakness. i blame the lovely emma lamb, she of the beautiful crocheted granny cushions, of which i am a proud owner. she is also rather nifty with the camera and putting together treasuries on etsy.

she started a lovely flickr group called 'all colours in' and asked me to join...which was most kind as she knows i am totally 'pants' at joining in with most things. but for emma i tried really hard to remember i was part of her lovely group.

i took a wee look a while ago at all the lovely pics that people around the globe were adding to the group.

and there is was, the photo that made me 'gasp', clutch my hands to my chest and exclaim "i need to add to my piddly potholder collection of three, so that i too may have a wall as beautiful as this" (i talk quite a lot out loud these days, it helps if you have furry and feathered friends around because then you feel it's okay)

my little collection is growing but isn't enough to start placing on the wall...so for now i have made myself a 'potholder' tree...

i am most happy with my tree and am thinking it might stop there, just as it is...for i can move my tree from room to room as the mood takes me. for now it is on the mantlepiece bringing a touch of 'potholdering' love to our lounge...

so there we have it...i am not actually quite sure my 'thrilling' potholdering part two was up to much and i know my aunt will be most disappointed as she had high hopes i was making swimwear out of them...the thought of having to model my apron wraps was traumatic enough, the thought of modeling 'potholder' bikinis is just too much for me and quite honestly way too much for the world...

with that thought she will leave you to have a lovely weekend ~ Tif

and off she goes, exotic fringe, granny undies and all...

righty ho, just counting out 10 days worth of my little vitamins and wondering why i chose today to cut my bangs/fringe with the kitchen scissors. i am now sporting quite an interesting looking fringe line. i have told myself it is perfectly acceptable for it to curve up in the middle above my nose and that in fact many may think it the latest look from hair catwalks from glamorous places such as Paris. i am thinking a little exotic here...

however, i do not have time to fret about my exotic looking fringe, for i have critters and children to sort.

upon my pottling around the shed with 'post-it' reminders stuck to my chest i noted my daffs are looking peachy and springy. i am wondering if they will still be there upon my return, looking not so peachy and not so springy, it is kind of comforting to think they may well be... things like that make one feel like life may whizz on by some days and be a little surreal, but the things which matter most like family and their little habits, stay the same. yes it is quite true to say, i hope i do arrive home to find my daffs bedraggled and way past their best on the windowsill.

gosh blimey i am getting all melancholy on you dearest readers, i guess that happens from time to time especially when i am flying on my own.

let us move on from such thoughts and before i head off on my red eye to old blighty this may be the perfect time for me to mention my up and coming workshops on the beautiful Suffolk Coast in England, this summer.

yes indeedy i need to rustle up a few more peachy dearies so we may have a perfectly fabby time of things in a beautiful cottage over looking the sea, vintage fabrics and lots of time to stitch to our hearts content whilst Angela does a brilliant job of providing us with wonderful homecooked food. walks on the beach, tea around the firepit and quality crafting time with some lovely likeminded crafty souls...

if you like the idea of being a peachy dottie angel dearie this summer (i know i do), you can find all the nitty gritty over at Angela's lovely place. any questions or other such things you may be wondering about, do not hesitate to contact Angela at ritchieacecamps@yahoo.ca

if your questions are more along the lines of

"Tif, why would you chose to cut your fringe with kitchen scissors the morning of leaving to visit England and meeting all those lovelies you have lined up?"

or indeed

"Tif, instead of darning three pairs of tights in their heels and leaving it to the last moment, do you not think a trip such as this is worthy of a new pair of tights?"

or perhaps

"Tif, when will you be getting your derriere into gear and making summer apron wraps for your little shop?"

then may i suggest you do not send those to Angela because i am quite sure she does not wish to talk about my exotic fringe shape, nor my darned socks and quite possibly not my derriere.

however the little bit about the apron wraps, may i be so bold as to answer here and now since you asked so nicely. for indeed upon my return from recharging my british batteries, i have plans, big plans which involve me, my ever-so-lovely Miss Ethel and dottie angel's newly adopted auntie and her trusty sewing machine. together we will beaver like we have never beavered before and after we are all 'beavered out' i hope to have summer apron wraps, lovely high hope flags and little sunshine sacks hanging in the shop window ready to meet Mr Spring and Master Summer.

oh yes! i am positively looking forward to claiming back some quality stitching time for dottie angel

she is wishing you a peachy few weeks, perhaps a little beavering of your own and will be back before you know it, exotic fringe, granny undies and all ~ Tif

Mr Vertigo and his tricky ways...

i must tell you dearest readers,

i am indeed feeling so much more dandier then a few days ago.

and if i blamed my apron neck loop then i fear, i misplaced the blame.

for despite it appearing to be the most obvious culprit in my unfortunate event,

and on close inspection it did play a part in my fall,

it is the doorstep of Mr Vertigo where i shall place the majority of the blame.

for Mr Vertigo appeared a little while ago,

i had hoped to not have the pleasure of his company again.

when he first appeared late one night

i said "drat and darn you Mr Vertigo"

i decided to ignore his dizzying ways and continued at my usual pace,

and i was indeed a fool.

for he is a clever blighter, taking full advantage of my fogginess

and dare i say it, forgetful moments of his arrival within the shed.

and so it came to be on sunday morning

dressed in my eclectic finest and

minutes away from leaving to meet my friend of the utmost kind,

Mr Vertigo seized his moment and pounced.

i strode purposefully in peachy clogs, from the kitchen toward the telly,

hearing the world cup crowd going wild,

in my right hand a plate of chocolate spread,

in my left, a glass of orange juice.

trailing from a hook my apron, quite innocently, of that i am sure.

out of nowhere Mr Vertigo pounced, as quick as a flash,

lassoing my leg with the apron loop

me and my unbalanced ways did not stand a chance.

a few seconds later

my plate and glass left unbroken still within my hands...

my chocolate spread on toast flung far away,

(little olive taking full advantage)

juice dripping down my head

and me, doing a fabby 'life alert' pose

since that moment i have discovered that hardwood flooring is not the softest of landings

and

after a short spell in the land of nurses and doctors, i returned to the shed,

bruised but not broken...

i am delighted to report my right arm is doing a peachy job at getting back up to speed,

thus me tippity tapping today and also dallying with Mr Hook whilst resting on the couch.

my leg is trailing behind a tad,

but nothing a few more days of pottering in slow motion won't fix.

i am now wiser to Mr Vertigo and his tricky ways

i have told him to 'bugger off' several times since my unfortunate event,

so far he appears to not be listening.

but this is okay, for i will not let him bring me down again,

no sirree, i will keep him in my sights

until i see him pack his bags and leave for warmer climates.

and i must tell you, i am hoping it is sooner rather than later

she is thanking you most kindly for caring ~ Tif

a bonus to blogging...

luckily when typing i rest my hands and arms upon my little green desk,

"why is this lucky, Tif?" i hear you enquire.

well dearest readers, i am experiencing 'an experience' that happens to me on occassion, quite regularly actually and i do find it most inconvient when it appears at times such as 'shop updating'. a time when i should be super motivated, sweating it out with Miss Ethel and beavering away on vast quantities of 'lovelies'.

but alas i have been struck down in the worst way with 'pondering', 'procrastinating' and 'delaying'... causing my hands and arms to become heavy and slow.

i do not believe a little crocheted coaster should take the best part of the morning to produce... it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that is not time well spent when thinking about an item one wishes to sell.

i am thinking it may have something to do with the crappy weather... i declared yesterday it did not bother me, but today i appear to be affected by the lack of daylight. perhaps also, by not finding 'closure' with my missing slip and let's add on top, missing my soul sister and her lovely company...

i think the best thing is to 'walk away', leave Miss Ethel to gather a little dust, blot out my vanished slip, push Debbie to the back of my mind and spend some time with you lovely lot instead.

so for today's 'pick me up', i thought it quite nice to tell you about Gloria, how we met and the story so far...

when i first started blogging in march 2007, after the initial 'bravo' of getting my blog started and feeling most pleased with myself (due to little prior blogging knowledge), i set about adding a few links on my sidebar.

sites i found lovely to look at. there were so many out there in cyberland but i added links to a few, that on greater inspection seemed to be most pleasing to my eye and let's be truthful, made me a little envious.

for they were doing what i would like to be doing but had yet to figure out how...

and so it was that i placed a link to The Laundry upon my blog, thinking nothing of it.

to my surprise, a little while later, a letter appeared in my inbox from Gloria Nicol, the brains behind The Laundry. she thanked me for adding a link to her shop and was most supportive of myself and my wares.

i was positively speechless, little me sitting in my 'other' home at the time, just dipping my toes into the cyber waters and Gloria had stopped by to say hello.

over the past few years we have exchanged letters, just like pen pals... i have seen her name in print on many an occasion and smiled a smile to myself, most happy at her growing recognition.

i was delighted when her cyber shop was joined by a reality shop and often wish to be able to step through the door, have 'a little potter' around, before going up to the till and saying

"hi Gloria, it's me... Tif".

who knows, perhaps one day that it will happen.

but for now i must 'make do' knowing that Gloria will appear from time to time in my inbox, with a few words of encouragement for me. one such appearance happened a couple of weeks back... encouraging words came forth and then Gloria asked me if i would like to make her an apron wrap, so she may wear it when working in The Laundry...

of course i did a little dance,

of course i ran around the shed, yelling to anyone who would listen whilst pointing to her latest writing in Selvedge,

and of course i sat right back down and replied "why YES! i would love to"

even though i didn't have the foggiest idea of how to make a full apron wrap...

two vintage pillowcases and two weeks on, with some clever work by Miss Ethel, a full apron wrap is winging it's way to old blighty to live life in The Laundry, and i have to tell you i am most chuffed to know it's final destination and to know it's owner.

and so there we have it dearest readers, it really is quite extraordinary the people i have had the pleasure of 'meeting' over the past few years.

along with Gloria, i have got to know many talented, generous, creative people through my little blog and i have often marvelled to 'used dog' and now of course 'little olive', as to why i should have the good fortune...

whatever the reasons maybe, i shall continue to think myself most lucky to have you, dearest readers, stumble across 'me and my ramblings' in the blogging world.

her hands and arms are feeling lighter now, she is thinking a cup of tea is in order ~ Tif

'eye candy' ~ part three...

i am most happy that you liked yesterday's eye candy, i am particularly fond of comment number 17...

so let us once again dive into a jammy packed post full of lovely things. i started the day wearing my apron skirt. i have discovered a flaw in my design (Laura, pay attention here), as you feel like you are wearing an apron, you wipe your hands continuously on your skirt...it is the bizarres thing, try as i may i can't help myself...anyhow i have spent my day beavering away in the usual manner, surrounded by piles of linens, bedsheets and pillowcases, my studio has lost it's carpet and i have got to the point where i can not find anything that i put down five minutes before...still i have succeeded in making some new treats for 'show and tell' tomorrow, but that must wait...

so to our daily dose of 'eye candy'.

for you dear readers, no expense has been spared, my lovely guest has been flown in, all the way from the UK. before i introduce her, i must tell you why this creative soul has caught my eye...so once again if you are ready, a tale must be told.

at the age of seventeen (isn't that a song..i'm sure that sounds familiar, okay now i must continue my tale in a very husky voice, like the singer of that song..) i had to go back to school for retakes, i stayed for six months and then that was the end of my school career. in amongst the retakes, i had a spare 'block' in my daily grind, i filled it with 'embroidery AO level' and the very first day, i knew i had found my 'eye candy'...it became the only lesson that i paid attention in and actually achieved some results...i soon realized what i liked about embroidery was the detail involved, the little extras, basically the icing on the cake with a little cherry on top.

as i have gone out into the big world and grown up i still look for and crave those details.

i hope that i manage it in my own creations and i certainly appreciate it in others and their works...and so we come to Petalsoft, i don't honestly know how i found Christine, it is all a bit of a blur...all i know is she appeared from somewhere and i couldn't get over her work and how much detail goes into it...so it just leaves me to introduce some seriously good 'eye candy' for your pleasure, courtesy of Christine...

leaving you with a little bit of 'candy' from my studio ~ Tif

me, Miss Ethel and Jim...

Miss Ethel and i were spending quality time together yesterday when the phone rang.

"er, yes... hello, this is Jim here"

my little heart quickened... here was a man who had something i wanted and i wanted it badly.

"i've got the parts for your dishwasher, can i come by now?"...

"oh yes!" i gushed.

Miss Ethel and i resumed our 'quality time spending' for a further three minutes before the phone rang again.

"er, yes... Jim here again, it would appear the parts aren't the right ones, so i won't be out to you until the end of next week."

and then i heard myself gushing again, saying things like "oh thank you so much, that's great... don't you worry about it" ha ha ha "just call me when they come in".

why, oh why would i say that, when inside of me i wanted to scream,

"hey Jim, the honeymoon period is over, the vacation time is done... i want my machine back, you can forget the Waltons and all that stuff. no one is playing fair in my house. Jim Bob and Elizabeth helped their mother... for crying out loud, i'm going nuts here"

but i didn't, i did the proper thing and thanked him kindly for getting my hopes up and then squidging them into the ground.

nothing to do but to locate my 'rose colored spectacles' and go outside to work on my 'dottie angel' installed washing line for up and coming 'event'

(and no i haven't changed my name to Don, you have to do a little bit of scrolling and right at the very bottom you will find little old me.)

after which i came back inside and reacquainted myself with Miss Ethel ignoring all the piles of dishes on the side...

together we have made two slips, two apron wraps and a bag for my little shop, which i will list tomorrow.

i wish to keep one of the slips and one of the wraps for myself.

this is against the rules. i have special rules that must not be broken... i never set about making something for the shop and then keep it for myself. that's against my code (what code i don't know, but once again i have this thing in my head that i must adhere to).

now i have been thrown into a 'to do' by my 'wanting' of these things...

but there it is, i have an apron wrap on my studio table with my name stamped all over it and yet i can not have it.

as to the slips... whilst pondering yesterday (some may say procrastinating, but i like the word pondering today), i figured out a way to customize some half slips with side slits, just a bit of trickery and they become pretty skirts for any event, be it a ball, a wedding, washing up loads of darn dishes, feeding the chickens or leaving one's daydream cottage and heading down to the beach...

i am most happy and i feel dottie would approve nicely, which of course we all know that's what it's about in the end.

she is wishing you a 'peachy' weekend and will see you on monday ~ Tif

things of very little need to know but then again...

thing one to know:

a wrappy braidy coif can be achieved

even with my small offering of braidiness

obviously a long way to go in its wrappy braidy ways

but 'tis one none the less

and one with potential towards

a great and peachy wrappy braid coif

in the future

thing two to know:

combine said shown wrappy braidy coif with clogs

and a peachy summer apron wrap

and surely of all surelies ever to have surely gone before,

summer must be just around the corner

thing three to know:

Mr Spell Checker has advised me

i have over 13 misspelt words in this here short ramble.

i have advised Mr SC

i have no idea what he is talking about

she is getting out Mr Shark, letting him get all hot and bothered under the collar and freshly pressed apron wraps will be in her little store by thursday ~ Tif

footynote: did i hear someone just say "about blimen' time too Tif",

"fair enough, fair enough" say i

what she really wants...

nellie knows what she wants and what she wants is 'chickens in the backyard' but alas nellie doesn't have a backyard to call her own. she lives in the city in a high rise block and dreams of life on the farm. on the weekends nellie discards her conservative office clothing and dons her apron skirt along with a sweet cardi, headscarf and bashed up biker boots. she pulls her patchwork vintage drapes over the window to shut out the world, settles herself down on a midcentury modern couch and watches re-runs of 'little house on the prairie'...some may say nellie is a dreamer, but nellie just shrugs her shoulders and says "at least i know what i want"

this sweet apron skirt is upcycled from

a cotton thriftstore slip (dyed a pretty soft tealy seafoam color)

an antique traycloth

a thrifted cotton blouse

an antique collar

a vintage lace doily

a button

scraps of fabric

and

vintage lace

you can find nellie in my little store

she's wishing you a lovely spring weekend (ever hopeful) ~ Tif

the cogs are turning once again...

the upside of having the lurgy is i had a lot of time to gaze into space, not the stars and moon kind of space but the few inches just in front of my face before it all gets blurry.

on one such occasion last week in between thinking about Colin and Johnny and wishing someone would make me a cup of tea, a crafting thunderbolt hit me...out of nowhere it occurred to me that my growing pile of thrift store pillowcases was beginning to bug me. found in pairs they are a treat to use, found in singles it causes me distress. from time to time, i have seen some lovely little dresses made from a pillowcase and if my girls were 'wee' again i would have them dressed in a pillowcase every day along with silver doctor marten boots (i can't believe i ever gave them away years ago, what was i thinking. not my girls, silly...the boots). but alas they are as tall, if not taller than me and so i needed to come up with an idea...

why oh why had i not seen it all along is beyond me, but until last week i had never made the connection between pillowcases and aprons. and then voila! just like that it is staring me in the face as plain as day...

summer apron wraps, designed to wear with jeans or layered over a summer skirt, perfect for the kitchen, the garden and the farmers market...i am so excited, that i wish every day could be a summer apron wrap day. of course i could be the only one in the world who wishes for such a day, but i shall pop them in my little store and see if others feel the love too.

the sixth and final resident of the shed has fallen prey to the lurgy, so she is off to fetch her florence nightingale hat out of the washer and will see you tomorrow ~ Tif

i know i'm slowly losing it...

it's all because of Manda really, she had to go and show the picture of the japanese book store she visited in NY on her lovely blog... so on Saturday in between all the chores, i persuaded my man that he really needed to take me to our local japanese bookstore. he gave me one hour on the meter and i headed in the door and spent every minute of my hour in a state of 'heart racing, hands clammy and just a little bit dizzy'. even though i adore the crafts they feature, it's also the colors they use, the sleeve covers, the paper, the background settings and all the props for the pictures that just overwhelm me with the need to create (in fact i would be quite happy just living in one of these books)...i collected nine of these treasures and my man said "Tif, try to put at least one of these back, go on see if you can". i replied clutching my pile to my chest "are you mad, have you gone insane, if i leave this bookstore without all of them, i don't think i will continue to breathe, in fact i feel faint right now just thinking about it" (this was said with a mad crazed look in my eye, just so he got the message loud and clear)..

so the money i had been putting aside to buy a pair of "perfect with any outfit, not too high, possibly red or maybe silver" wedges for the summer was used to cover the enormous cost of my new books. later that night when the house was sleeping, i watched my pile of books and carefully looked through a few pages and then my eye caught this ...
so on sunday, when no one was looking i stole one hour again to myself in my studio and ran myself up a summer apron skirt using an old cotton skirt like this (but brown), a thrift store anthro napkin, one fat quarter, some off cuts of cotton and a very tatty bit of lace...

i plan to do this to all my 'seen better days' summer skirts, and my girls will no longer be able to call me "a bag lady" (not cause i have a nice array of bags, but because i mainly dress like one) no, they will now have the excitement of being seen out with their 'old mum' wearing her apron skirts!!

now i just have to work out a way of getting some cute wedges to go with them...Tif

me, winston and used dog...

we are basking in sunshine at the moment, in between eight loads of laundry and laying a gravel pathway around the veggie patches i took the opportunity to get some pics done for my Etsy store...

for two years on Etsy i have managed to keep myself out of the frame but alas my need to 'wow the world' with my 'summer apron wraps' has caused me to rethink my styling.

my girls have been most gracious at weekends by giving me a ten minute period of time to set up my little 'patch' in the yard and then 'model' for the camera. (any longer then ten minutes and they double their charge)

i can hear Tyra Banks wise words in my head, "then you do this, then this and little bit of that" but alas i look more like Flat Stanley then america's next top model...

over the past few weekends of 'shoots' i have got a wee bit more happier about standing in front of the camera. i'm not saying i'm any better at it but i am starting to feel like i have a 'style' of picture that works well for what i am selling.

this all accumulated in me being most reckless, and throwing caution to the wind and deciding to 'record' this moment of time in my life for prosperity's sake...

as i stood on my wee stool,

our #2 muttered "oh lord, let's just hope no one drives by"

then our#1 pulled up with her boyfriend who then muttered "your mom is barking mad" (or the american version of barking mad, to which i do not know but surely should learn one day).

next my man questioned the sanity behind needing to stand on a stool for a photo shoot. (after 24 years together does he really need to question anything, anymore?)

for the second photo, i proposed to the camera person we involve a chicken.

said chicken (Fatty) was most co-operative and dealt well with the 'moment' considering she was under intimidating circumstances... just out of the frame was 'used dog' licking her lips...

i am most happy to know that in years to come when my grandchildren are perhaps going through my effects, they will happen upon my little photos and marvel at their granny, who in her youth (ha, ha, ha)

kept chickens,

had a trailer named Gladys in the backyard

an old Ford truck named Winston on the drive

had an alter ego named dottie angel

and tried to convince the world to wear 'summer apron wraps' and 'slips' everyday...

her creative cogs have started turning, causing her little sleep... but it's all good ~ Tif

alas and alack dear Leonard...

Leonard the Lens and i have been acquaintances now for i am guessing quite a few months, at least four, possibly five, but lordy it feels like twenty or more. we have yet to move onto the friendship phase, let alone true love phase despite spending many moments close up and me twiddling and fiddling with his bits.

infact i think it true to say, i have twiddled and fiddled with him so much more than i ever twiddled and fiddled with Carlos. ah dear sweet Carlos my trusty camera, a little clunky and dated looking, living life in retirement and enjoying his twilight years upon my desk, close by.

trusty, dependable (at one point), comfortable, warmly souled Carlos

and then there is Leonard, looking mighty spiffy in his evening suit attire, giving me a 007 look as if to say "i'm all it baby" but when it comes to performance he just can't get his act together. his good looks masking a cold soul... sure he can take a nice photo if and when he pleases, but it lacks a warmth, one that i crave. i told him as such yesterday, after which he gave me 1 lovely shot followed by 36 apron wrap photos of tinted glowing crappity crap... as if to say "i'll show you i can do warmth baby" (he uses the term 'baby' a lot because he thinks it makes him attractive to the ladies, obviously you know and i know different)

i wept, he wept, (actually i don't think he did, he does not appear to possess any feelings what so ever) i told him i had given all i could give and there was nothing left to give. he told me "what you see is what you get, if you don't like it, then there is always someone else who will" (see, no feelings at all!)

so we are parting ways, i would say it is with sweet sorrow, but it is not. parting with Carlos was sweet sorrow but with Leonard there is a certain amount of relief on my behalf. i gave it my best shot, he gave it his best shot but his best wasn't compatible with my best, for i need a little warmth, i need a little soul, what i truly need is to find another Carlos

she is aiming now for tomorrow as apron wrap day for the shop, when she has found herself some soul ~ Tif

where for art thou Mr Sprightly Spring...

i have come to the conclusion that i have been robbed...

yes indeed, robbed of Spring

and as of a few hours ago, it would now appear also our credit card details.

but we will not dwell on such 'crappity crappiness' of the utmost crappy kind.

no we will go back to Spring and the mysterious disappearance of it...

which is crappy enough in it's self for one day.

i am beginning to wonder if i jinxed it.

for indeed i did 'sprightly springify' the shed to within an inch of its life in January.

now i am thinking perhaps that fooled Mr Spring and he has passed me by,

thinking his job was done...

usually this time of year, my little pasty pins have had some exposure,

of course in winter,

i may forget the razor and go as nature intended.

but in June this is risque.

for although my pins are not seeing much daylight i must keep them 'daylight ready'

i know the minute i say "oh sod it Mr Spring" and start to grow my winter coat,

he will appear,

suddenly,

mockingly,

out of the gray will come blue,

no warning

and at a most inconvenient time.

a time when i am unable to dedicate a marathon session with my pins and a razor.

he will have the last laugh watching me sweat it out

in my layers of clothing.

unable to remove my woolly attire...

so i cannot take the risk,

despite this being my risk taking year,

for now i will continue to have my pins 'spring ready' and pasty under my layers.

i will also continue to assess my frocks.

for i'm all about the frocks...

any season is frock season for me

but i am particularly fond of spring summery frocks.

so far i have found 3 summer frocks at the thrift store,

one of which is now with handy apron and pocket,

so i may collect eggs

small creatures

or perhaps care to carry around my yarn

and

Mr Hook

and best of all

(perhaps the bestest of besty all)

a pair of dungarees (overalls)

oh, how i rejoiced when i found them.

for dungarees have been my best friend for many years.

they saw me through my teen years.

then into my twenties

and through four pregnancies...

but then i hit the big 30.

apparently, according to an article i read at that time,

by 30 it was a big "NO NO" to be seen in dungarees.

oh the power of the written word,

i took my 'lordy how could i have let you go' old man's denim LEE dark washed vintage dungarees

and sent them packing.

even now i'm choked just thinking about the crime i committed

due to the opinion of another.

11 years on, in my local thrift store

and

i was stopped in my tracks by a pair.

not quite the same, for another could never replace my true love.

as i reached out to them,

they spoke to me,

i said "i'll give you a try"

all the time, the article from so long ago, ringing in my ears...

by the time i had the second clip in place and turned to the mirror

i could only hear one thing,

for a small chorus of angels had crammed into the little cubicle with me,

singing their angelic hearts out with a small round of

"hallelujah, hallelujah"

and

from outside the cubicle,

glory shone from under the door

it would appear, a little piece of me, i lost so long ago had returned home...

since being reunited with some dungarees

i have noted just how content i feel.

in the back of my head i hear dottie angel

once again reminding me just how wonderful it is to be

an eclectic woman of an uncertain age.

and despite the fact Mr Spring appears to have forgotten about me,

i note it really does not matter.

for wearing my dungarees or apron frock,

clippty clopping clogs upon my feet

and pasty pins

i'm feeling sprightly and springy even in the crappiest of crappity weather...

she will be back tomorrow with how she made her 'ordinarily extraordinary' blanket ~ Tif

dottie angel and her dearies....

i thought today would be the most perfect day to talk about my up and coming workshop.

("why is that Tif?" i hear you ask)

and that is indeed a very good question, why today of all days is it the day to talk of such things.

well firstly, because it is raining and dull outside,

secondly, because it's been a while since i dropped it into the conversation and quite honestly if i am going to fill my dottie angel dearie places i need to do some 'blabbing'

and

thirdly, what could possibly brighten up a day more than talking about crafting.

so if you are sitting comfortably, then i will get on with the nitty gritty...

the lovely Angela of ritchie ace camps contacted me a while ago, asking me if i would be interested in heading up a workshop.

i thought, oooh that's lovely, me just chit chatting for an hour, showing a little something and then going home to the safety of my shed.

the lovely Angela of ritchie ace camps then contacted me to say that wasn't exactly what she had in mind, what she was thinking was a two day workshop with three nights stay in a luxury old house in Seattle, with me teaching...

well right there and then you can imagine dearest readers i sat back in my eames swivelling desk chair and pondered,

then i paced,

then i started to get a little sick feeling

and

then i got a little excited feeling...

surely to be given an opportunity such as this was incredible.

to be asked to have my very own dottie angel workshop retreat was a show stopper in my books.

i then remembered how 2010 was my risk taking year and surely this would count as my biggest yet.

so i emailed the lovely Angela back and said "yes! i would love to", shaking as i pressed the send button.

and then the cogs began to turn, the wheels were set in motion,

i had the opportunity to share all that i love about recycled fabrics, lace, doilies and dottie angel with a group of lovelies... i can't think of anything i would rather do more.

it will be a small group, as i told Angela i wasn't sure i had the makings of someone who could stand in front of a huge crowd (by huge i mean more than 10) and talk,

so 10 was my magic cut off number.

i figured this out by looking at my family, i talk to 5 people everyday quite easily, it's not a big amount of people, rather cozy and nice.

i doubled my 5 that live with me and thought that sounds the perfect number...

i am actually tres thrilled at the idea of a dottie angel retreat, i believe it is going to be a wonderful weekend...

did i ever see myself as a teacher of sorts? no i did not,

do i think i have the makings of a teacher of sorts? i think i do

do i know what the weekend will involve? yes i do...

everyone will arrive at the beautiful Shuey House in Seattle on the friday afternoon of September 24th 2010,

we will settle into our accommodation and get to know each other around a lovely large dining table with food prepared by Angela,

which i am thinking is a huge relief for anyone taking part, including myself.

day one of the workshop, the Saturday, will see us starting work on our slips, customizing them dottie angel style

so we may look suitably lovely for our final meal at the end of the weekend.

in the afternoon we will begin work on customizing our thrift store stools,

now this could be a little tricky for those that are travelling from afar,

but not to worry, for i will be happy to provide an alternative, in the way of an apron wrap or sunshine sack project.

in the evening after a wonderful dinner, we will be sitting down to a film and some crocheting.

i will be sharing a simple 'how to' crocheted patchwork blanket, dottie angel style, if crocheting is not in your repertoire, do not fret, i will help you learn.

sunday morning is earmarked for making whatnot recycled garlands out of our scraps...

after lunch we will work on finishing up all our projects in time for a photo shoot 'dottie angel' style, so all dearies may have a reminder of their eclectic handcrafted weekend with moi and dottie angel.

in my mind i see a row of dearies, either upon their stools or standing with apron wrap and slips, garlands strewn all around and a picture taken by Carlos my trusty camera.

a record of the moment that i took a risk along with 10 other lovely dearies, and it was indeed a risk worth taking...

we will finish our day with dinner, dressed in all our fine attire and another evening of crocheting.

and if by chance you are reading this and thinking,

"oh this sounds just peachy, something i would love to do but i'm a little shy about coming on my own"

do not worry,

do not be a little shy

for i too would feel the same...

but you will be amongst friends,

already the lovely Jessie of SweetJessie is coming from afar

and wonderful Rita, who pops into my shop from time to time, she is coming on her own from Toronto!

some brave souls indeed...

and lastly if you do have an interest, but lots of questions are popping in your head then you are welcome to email me and i will do my besty best to answer them...

at the end of the day, my hopes for this workshop is to show how i make things,

how my process of working with my materials is...

i have a very 'hands on', where will it take me approach.

i love nothing more than to cut and patch with vintage fabrics.

i rarely read rules

and

i find, that in it's self quite freeing.

allowing me to just go with the flow and take all the unloved forgotten souls i come across and give them a new life...

be it fabric

doilies

yarn

or

little souls

each of them talk to me in their own way

i hope to pass this on, to show my enthusiasm for what i love most and inspire my dottie angel dearies to go back home to their nests and take what they have learnt and make it their own...

she is thanking you most very kindly once again for making her shop update a success and for always inviting her in for pea soup ~ Tif