Vintage Market

Last Saturday I went to the Boscombe Vintage Market with two of my friends. Both K and M (aka A Girl in Winter) had been before but I had not. My reason for going was twofold - I am always interested in vintage or antiques fairs, but more importantly M and I wanted to look at it with a view of having a stall in the future. For some time we have been talking about trying to sell our crafts online. We are considering setting up an Etsy or Folksy shop. M knits, crochets, makes cards and does cross stitch; I knit, sew and make beaded jewellery. I was really impressed with the Vintage Market. It has only been in existence for 4 months but I was bowled over by the sheer quality and diversity of the good being sold. It was extremely busy and there was a very warm and friendly atmosphere.

It was heartwarming to experience this as, you see, Boscombe has a reputation for being a tough area of Bournemouth. There have been attempts recently to redevelop and rejuvenate the area. It was hoped that the artificial surf reef would attract more visitors and money has been spent on Boscombe Gardens, refurbishing the pier and building new apartments on the seafront.

After a couple of hours exploring the Market we went to a local restaurant, Bosconova, for some lunch and to discuss what we had seen. After much consideration we have decided to rent a stall and see what happens. Life is too short for regrets and we both feel that we ought to try it once and see what happens. Hopefully we will be successful and sell enough to cover the cost of the stall. If not then we will set up an Etsy shop to sell our craft work. I personally feel that I want to take the chance or I will always regret it and wonder what would have happened. Who knows where it will lead!



The lovely things bought at Boscombe Vintage Market - two Liberty fabric remnants, a couple of vintage brooches, a handmade felt and bead dragonfly brooch, some purse frames and some lovely beads.


I couldn't resist this dragonfly. The designer Meninafeliz had a selection of hand embroidered butterflies, dragonflies and birds for sale as well as some beautiful flowers made from paper.



Another stallholder was selling vintage clothes and jewellery. Again I was drawn to a dragonfly brooch (do you sense a theme emerging here!).



There was someone selling beautiful beaded jewellery. She had large glass dishes full of loose beads on her stall. I was immediately attracted to them, they looked so pretty sitting there. I chatted to the stallholder and she told me that she was taking a bead needle weaving course herself and that she was addicted to beads. I had found a kindred spirit! In fact all of the stallholders were very friendly and only too happy to talk to us about their items and how they were made. The whole day was very inspiring and uplifting. I honestly did not realise that there were so many creative and generous spirited people in my local area. Plus I got to spend some quality time with two wonderful friends. What more could I ask!



Finally inspiration for all you men out there. My OH is constantly losing buttons from his shirts. I have to admit that mending and sewing buttons on are not high up on my list of favourite activities. In desperation last year the poor man asked me to teach him how to sew the buttons on, if I was not willing to do it for him. I happily got my sewing box and spent half an hour teaching him the basics. Last Sunday he asked me for a needle and thread and then proceeded to replace some missing buttons on one of his shirts. I felt a little bit bad for not doing it for him, but also very proud of him too!

Fun Days Out (Part Two)

The Saturday before last I met up with a couple of friends and, along with OH, we went to visit The Knitted Garden in Bournemouth Public Library. You may have heard of it. Lots of community groups around Bournemouth worked together to recreate a garden completely made out of yarn. I had read about it and assumed that it would be a small display in a corner of the Library. Nothing could be further from the truth. It occupied most of the Library space! Knitted and crocheted flowers were everywhere, twining around pillars, spilling over bookshelves and there was even a knitted vase of flowers on the Enquiry Desk.

There were creatures galore, bugs of various sizes, frogs, mice, hedgehogs, spiders, birds, a barn owl with a mouse hanging from its beak and a rather scary looking cat. There was even a life-sized green man sitting in a deck chair. Apparently the Library staff have been having great fun by moving him around the building and giving him different books to read such as an Alan Titchmarsh gardening book. The sheer scale an exuberance of the whole thing really bowled me over. Not just the huge amount of work that had obviously gone into creating it, but also how well it had been integrated into the space. It really made me wish that we could do something similar in the Library where I work. Another bonus was the amount of people it attracted, some of whom might never have set foot in the building before.


A knitted and crocheted picnic and barbecue. I particularly liked the knitted prawns.


I was really taken with this sweet little mole poking his head through the knitted grass. My rather blurry photo doesn't really do him justice.

As a Librarian I couldn't resist taking a shot of the Returned Books Bay festooned with flowers.


Flowers of every shape, size and colour adorn the entrance lobby to the Library.

Another favourite. You can only admire the patience it must have taken to knit all of those bees!


I would love to have a pond like this on my living room. I don't have a garden at the moment and it would certainly be low maintenance!

After our tour of the garden we walked to a nearby Cafe Nero for coffee, cake and lots of laughter. The perfect way to spend a Saturday afternoon.

Fun Days Out (Part One)

Cones, Lichens and Feathers by Angie Lewin

The idea behind this blog was to document my beading with the odd reference to everyday life. In recent months it has been more about my life and less about my creative endeavours. In future posts I hope to redress the balance. I have had a lot of upheaval in my life over the last 18 months, mainly a number of health problems. I am now determined to get my life back on track and spend more time on my beading and other crafts.

One of the strategies to get things back on an even keel has been to make sure that we go out and do things. I am not sure what the future holds for me so we are determined to get the most out of life while we can.

Part of this strategy was another day out to London. My Father was born and brought up in London so we used to go there a lot when I was growing up and I have a great affection for it. We currently live about two and a half hours away on the south coast of England, so it is fairly easy to go there for the day. When we arrived at Victoria we walked the short distance through Belgravia to Baker and Spice.




OH ordered a coffee and one of their amazing blueberry muffins.




And I had a hot chocolate.

We also bought a loaf of bread and some chocolate brownies to take home. They make the best brownies I have ever tasted. This one is a 'Cheesecake Brownie'.

Next stop was the Chelsea Physic Garden, another favourite destination. It is a beautiful 17th century walled garden, planted with medicinal plants, right in the heart of London. The recent warm weather, followed by some rain, meant that it was looking absolutely stunning. After we arranged the trip we realised that the Chelsea Flower Show was taking place in the grounds of the Royal Chelsea Hospital, next door, so were expecting it to be really busy. It wasn't so we were able to wander around to our hearts content. There are plenty of benches where you can sit and just take in the views and listen to the bird song.

A garlic bulb sculpture created out of living willow. Part of the garlic plot.

After leaving the Chelsea Physic Garden we walked the short distance to Potterton books to look at a display of watercolours and prints by one of my favourite artists Angie Lewin (see the watercolour 'Cones, Lichens and Feathers' at the beginning of this post). Then we made our way back to Victoria, stopping off yet again at Baker and Spice for some refreshment on the way. By this time my leg was really starting to hurt and I was ready to go home.

Finally, although I am having a short hiatus with my beading, I have been doing a bit of knitting. I generally carry some knitting with me in my bag, usually something small like a hat or a pair of socks. I try to knit a few rows in my lunch break, while waiting for a bus or enjoying a hot chocolate in Starbucks. I have got used to the stares and occasional comments. My latest creation is a pair of Spring Forward socks from the Knitty website. I have really enjoyed knitting them. The pattern is really easy to follow and to memorise. However to my dismay when I finished the first sock and tried it on it was a bit too big. How disappointing! Never mind I can wear them around the house in the winter. (I really don't like wearing slippers and tend to favour thick socks in the winter and bare feet in the summer).

Sadly it looks much better on the sock blocker than on my foot!

Next time I will tell you all about my visit to the 'Knitted Garden' with my OH and two friends. Now, please excuse me - I have a sock to finish.

Charming

I have always been interested in the idea of charm bracelets and their symbolism. As the last twelve months have been very difficult I have decided, as part of an effort to be more positive, to start one of my own.

I actually own a gold charm bracelet already. It was left to me by my maternal Grandmother along with her beautiful Art Deco style engagement ring. The bracelet is very heavy and chunky and not really my style. I have only worn it once and that was on my Wedding Day. To be honest I found it very uncomfortable to wear everyday but somehow it seemed the right thing to wear on one of the happiest days of my life. There is so much love associated with that bracelet.

I loved both sets of grandparents but was particularly close to my Mother's parents. When I was three years old my Mother was taken seriously ill. For a few weeks her condition was critical and she nearly didn't survive. During her illness and subsequent long recovery, her parents looked after me and my brother. My poor Father had enough on his plate earning enough money to pay the bills and trying to cope with spending as much time at the hospital as possible. As children we were not allowed to visit her at all in hospital. I was too young to understand what was going on but it must have been very distressing for my brother, who is much older than me.

Throughout it all my Grandparents were there, simply caring for us.

I can remember my Grandmother wearing her charm bracelet and she would tell me the story of each charm and why my Grandfather had bought them for her. When she died she left it to me. It now languishes in a drawer, sadly unworn. But there are so many good memories associated with that piece of jewellery that I don't think that I will ever be able to part with it.

I have come to realise that I will never again enjoy the good health that I took for granted for so many years. I will have good periods and bad ones - hopefully more good than bad. There are two ways that this can go. I can either let the illness dominate my life, and the lives of those closest to me or I can take charge and start to rebuild my life.

Just before Christmas last year a shop opened in the centre of Bournemouth selling Pandora jewellery. I had heard of Pandora but hadn't really seen any pieces close up. The idea is simple, you purchase a bracelet and specially shaped beads or 'charms' to add to it. Each has a particular meaning such as 'I love you' or 'you are my inspiration'. I like the idea of a 21st century version of my Grandmother's charm bracelet. However I have decided that, like her bracelet, the Pandora style is not for me. For one thing there is the cost. If you go to the Pandora website you can design your own bracelet. You choose your bracelet and then the charms. There is a running total of the cost in the corner of the screen. I had reached over £2,000 before I had even half filled the bracelet. Not only can't I afford it but it is just a bit too ostentatious for me. I cannot ever imagine myself wearing a piece of jewellery worth several thousand pounds. Please understand me I admire the quality of the pieces and I like the idea of the bracelet, it is just not me and doesn't fit into my very modest lifestyle. Plus I find the sentiments associated with the charms a bit saccharine for my taste. Just my opinion!

Recently I came across a good quality, silver Pandora 'style' bracelet in a local shop for a fraction of the price. It came with a few beads already on it. Eventually I will make a bracelet base from beads using a stitch like herringbone stitch. Until then I will use this one. My idea is to create charms out of beads to chart my journey through this difficult phase of my life. More will be revealed over the next few months.

Finally, this weekend saw me carrying out cat sitting duties for a friend. As you can see below my two furry charges were completely unimpressed by my efforts to take care of them! I enjoyed it anyway. We don't have any pets of our own at the moment but I grew up with cats and I had forgotten how nice it was to have them around. I find them soothing for the soul.

Everybody hurts

I have been listening to a lot of R.E.M. recently and I had forgotten how uplifting their music can be. A particular favourite is 'Everyone Hurts'. It so perfectly sums up the human condition and the way that I am feeling at the moment. http://



I am blessed with a wonderful partner and amazing friends. The past couple of the weeks have been quite difficult. My health has not been great and I have been dealing with a very unpleasant and stressful situation at work. You really find out who genuinely cares about you at times like these and I count myself very lucky.

Spring is definitely here and that makes me feel much better. It seemed to be such a long time coming!


Last week my OH and I went to London for the day. I almost didn't go with him as I was feeling quite low emotionally and physically. At the last minute I changed my mind and I am glad that I did. We had a lovely day out. When we arrived at Victoria we walked around the corner to Baker and Spice for a coffee and a blueberry muffin. Rather unexpectedly we ended up sharing a table with Anton du Beke of 'Strictly Come Dancing' fame. Then OH wanted to go to a Syd Barrett exhibition. So, whilst he did that I had a wander around Liberty's. I must admit that I was disappointed by their range of fabric and yarn. I suppose it is a sign of the times that they are cutting back on stock. I do think it is a shame though! I then walked the short distance to Kingly Court which is just off Carnaby Street. The small shops are arranged around a central courtyard. It is such a haven of peace andf tranquility that you would not think you are a stone's throw from the hustle and bustle of Oxford Street. I visited 'Buffy's Beads' and 'All the Fun of the Fair'. There is also a vintage clothing shop with the wonderful name 'Fur Coat No Knickers'. Unfortunately it was shut when I was there. My OH met me outside the Camelia Tea Rooms and we had a salad for lunch and a cup of herb tea. they have an amazing array of teas. The canisters are on display and you can browse through them, take the lids off and sniff the teas before making your choice.

Unfortunately, I still have not finished my 'Jewel Bead Necklace as I have not been feeling well enough. However here is a picture of one of the beads. Hopfully I will finish the entire necklace this weekend.

One of my friends showed me some ribbon yarn recently. She bought it from 'IKnit London' and she is making a scarf with it. When I was in 'All the Fun of the Fair' I saw the same yarn for sale and couldnt resist buying some. I am sure P. will forgive me for copying her.

Weekend adventures

Each weekend we make a point of going somewhere for the day. A couple of years ago we resolved to come up with a list of fun things to do, to make the most of our free time together.

One such trip was to London a few weeks ago. I was keen to see an exhibition at the Foundling Hospital near the British Museum. The exhibition was called 'Threads of Feeling'. During the Eighteenth Century mothers were given the opportunity to take their children to the Foundling Hospital on Coram Fields. If the children were illegitimate, or the mothers simply could not provide for their child, they knew that by leaving them at the Hospital their son or daughter would be well fed and cared for. The idea was that they gave official guardianship of their offspring to the Hospital and if their circumstances improved they could come back for the child. In reality only 1% of mothers returned. In order to identify their son or daughter the women left tokens. Many of these were scraps of clothing, ribbons, small charms or buttons. The result is that the Museum has one of the finest collections of Eighteenth Century fabrics in Europe.

The exhibition was very moving. The ledgers were on display with a description of each child and the scrap of cloth or ribbon. As we walked around the Museum there were facts about everyday life in the Eighteenth Century displayed on the walls. One really shocking fact was that in Eighteenth Century London 75% of children would die before the age of 5. That really stopped me in my tracks. It is really easy for us to look at these things with our 21st Century view of life with its childhood vaccinations, good quality health care and long life expectancy. My heart went out to these poor women who had to make the decision to hand over their children with the knowledge that they would almost certainly never see them again.

I have recently become interested in creating memory jewellery. A way of incorporating fragments of everyday life into my work. This exhibition certainly gave me food for thought.

The exhibition has finished now but here you can find out the background to it. If you every have the chance to visit the Foundlings' Hospital I would urge you to do it. I am told that they graze sheep in Coram Fields, in front of the Hospital, and that in the Spring and Summer the air is filled with the sound of sheep calling to each other. Quite a strange experience in the heart of London!

Another fun exhibition was a bit closer to home in the Salisbury Arts Centre. We went to see a touring exhibition called the 'Hyperbolic Crochet Coral Reef'. The project was created by Margaret Wertheim, the Director of 'The Institute Of Figuring' in Los Angeles. It is quite simply, as the name suggests, a coral reef made entirely out of crochet. It is touring the world and everywhere that is appears local people are encouraged to add to it. The reef even has its own web page and blog. It was absolutely fascinating, particularly as close inspection showed that parts of it were made from crocheted wire, plastic bags and even lengths of audio and video tape. One of my favourite parts was the large octopus. I think it is nice to think that like a real coral reef it is constantly growing and changing.

I would certainly like to use some of the ideas, shapes and textures in my beadwork. A very inspiring experience.

I am still working on my 'Jewel Bead Necklace' due to the continuing problems with my right hand (which have now been officially diagnosed as carpal tunnel syndrome). Hopefully I will be able to show it in my next post along with an account of another recent visit to London.

Sunshine and shadows

At one time I used to make quilts. I haven't made one for a while, although I have to confess that I do have a quilt top lurking in my spare room, neatly folded on top of a roll of batting. One day I will get around to uniting the two to make another (hopefully) much loved quilt.

I have always liked Amish quilts and admire their complex patterns which seem so simple on first glance. Their use of clear colours and the balance between light and shade fascinates me. One of the things that has stuck with me is the idea of 'sunshine and shadows'. The Amish believe that you can only experience great joy in life if you have known great sorrow - life is made up of sunshine (joy) and shadows (sorrow). This has great resonance with me at the moment as I am definitely going through a 'shadow' phase in my life.

I have made eight quilts in total and have given half of them away. One full-sized bed quilt to my Mother, one baby quilt to a friend and two memory quilts, also to friends. I have four that I use everyday. The first quilt that I ever made, a log cabin quilt, is used as a Summer bed covering when the duvet is too heavy and warm. Another Mariner's Compass quilt is draped over the back of the sofa in our living room. I can see it out of the corner of my eye as I write this. The other two, a nine patch and an Ohio Star, are folded up on a rocking chair in our spare bedroom having done their duty as winter lap quilts and an extra layer on the bed when needed (my OH can testify to the fact that I suffer from chronically cold feet in the Winter!). They might have points that don't quite meet and the odd wobbly quilting stitch but they are very important to me. They remind me how far I have come in my sewing life. I have learnt so much making them. I still vividly remember cutting out the strips for the log cabin quilt without the aid of a rotary cutter. What was I thinking! I went out and bought one pretty quickly after that I can tell you.

I had a similar experience recently when a friend asked me to repair a necklace. It is actually one of mine. She bought it from me several years ago and she wears it a lot. Unfortunately one of the fire polished beads on the edging has become detached. It was really interesting for me to see it again after so long. I made it as part of my City & Guilds Level 2. I was looking at it earlier today and I started thinking about how I would have done things differently if I was making it now. For one thing I would use a different thread, probably Fireline, to avoid accidents such as the one that I am having to repair at the moment. But despite its flaws she loves it and that is the most important thing.

Sadly one of my friends lost her battle with cancer last week. Although we knew that her condition was terminal the speed at which she faded away was a shock. She was one of the first friends that I made when I moved to Bournemouth nearly eight years ago. I still find it hard to believe that I will never see her again. In the last conversation that I had whith her she said 'We have had so many laughs together haven't we? Remember that when I am gone, don't be sad'. I am going to try to do just that, although it won't be easy. She will be remembered with much affection by all who knew her.