Newsletter

Hello! Just a quick one to say:

1. You look lovely today. No, really. You do. Loving the hat. And are those slippers new?
2. The second issue of the Miss Beatrix newsletter is out! You can read it here, and sign up for future issues in the right sidebar. I try to time its release to sync with your morning coffee, because it's the little things, isn't it?

Have a spiffing weekend (I've been listening to far too much swing music lately and my language is changing as a result...)

The Verstile Blogger Award... (Sort Of)

This bloggy land we all inhabit is full of really splendid souls. Two of them, Anna of The Dusty Attic and Katie of Hook, Line and Sink Her 'recently' kindly nominated this here space in said bloggy land for the Versatile Blogger Award. So a big thank you and a large slice of cake to you both. Sorry it's taken me this long to do anything about it.

I tend to cheat a little with these things. There are two reasons for this.

1. I'm starting to run out of interesting facts about Yours Truly. I said interesting facts. There's loads more I could tell you, but it's really rather boring.
2. I genuinely read so many blogs by amazing talented people that I can never choose which to recommend, nor can I remember who I have nominated in the past. I tend to save my gleeful celebrations of other bloggers for social media, as and when I come across their impressive blog posts.

So, to show my appreciation for the nominations I am going to dig deep and tell you seven more things about me, and then throw the spotlight out there to anyone else who wants to do the same. That way we can all learn lovely (or weird) facts about one another. 

So here goes...(actually, I can't promise this is going to be interesting):

1. I personify everything. Squirrels in the garden, the plants at work, my car... they all get names and I find myself doing voices for them at the most inappropriate moments.

Meet Alan.

2. My first job was as an Avon Lady. I was thirteen.

3. A subsequent job as a student was at Xtras - a chain selling cheap makeup, hair accessories, perfume and specialising in hair extensions. I hated it, and could never understand why in two years not one woman ever asked me where real hair extensions come from, or how. 

4. My eyes bleed. Really. The vessels behind my eyes hemorrhage every now and again. I spent years going for tests every few months and my eyes even appeared in medical forums (the fame!) but doctors concluded that it isn't dangerous unless I start getting serious headaches. Funnily enough, my eyesight is perfect, despite my parents both needing strong prescription glasses. 

5. I lived with a member of an African presidential family for three years. Should probably leave it at that.

6. My favourite word is 'moose'. Other favourites include 'cream', 'pom pom' and I find fish names like 'halibut', 'sturgeon' and 'cod' strangely hilarious. 

A moose. Also called Alan.
source

7. I'm a whizz at the Dewey Classification System. My favourite number is 153.3 - the number for imagination and creativity. 

So now it's over to you! If you fancy sharing seven random facts about yourself, do go ahead, and be sure to let me know so I can have a nosy, and while you're at it, I can wholly recommend checking out the above two blogs if you haven't already.

The Beatrix Potter Toys and Designs Book

I was lucky enough to receive this book from my aunt last week; it's an ex-library book and someone had passed it onto her. Little did she know that it has been on my eBay watch list for quite some time!

What I find fascinating about books like this is knowing that Beatrix Potter herself was such a clever lady, that seeing the success of The Tale of Peter Rabbit it was her own idea to make merchandise to accompany it, and her other stories that came later. It's an interesting thought when you see Beatrix Potter themed goods wherever you go, and tut at the commercialisation of literature.

Beatrix and Benjamin.

Here is the first Peter that Beatrix made with her own fair hands. He was registered at the Patent Office in 1903.

So this book appeals to my crafty and Beatrix Potter-loving nature. It's quite dated now, having been published in 1992, but when I think about how much commercial fabrics - especially plush and velour - have improved in the last twenty years, I get excited about how much better these projects could look today than they do in these images!

So here are some of the projects in the book: 

Plush fur fabric is much nicer than this now

A typical nineties image. What amuses me is that while the girl in this photo is about the same age I was in 1992, I have a jumper and tights remarkably like hers today. And I often put puppet shows on for my dog. (I don't.) (I do.) I so want that Peter puppet on the left. 

Think of these in today's velour fabrics! Squidgy!

Anyone else have one of these cloth animals in a bag?
I had completely forgotten about mine until I saw this.
Probably another weird nineties thing.

I also had a dressing gown a bit like that, also blue, but with Noddy on it.
A disturbing thought now!

If you fancy a copy of this book so you can make your very own Beatrix Potter goodies copies still quite regularly wash up on eBay, and there are currently a number on Amazon Marketplace. 

Beatrix Potter merchandise, while always around, does seem to come in waves. As a child I remember it being everywhere, with seemingly every other nursery being done out with a Beatrix Potter frieze, Beatrix Potter baby toys, and Beatrix Potter christening gifts. So it's funny that I should receive this book now, while we seem to be at the peak of another wave of popularity. 

My own childhood Beatrix Potter mug.
I have a cheap copy too which I now use as my water pot for button painting.

Did you have Beatrix Potter items in your home when you were growing up? Or perhaps, like me, you have more now!

Latest Vintage Acquisitions

I'm pleased to announce that car boot season is now in full swing in Sheffield, and I went to my first one of the year yesterday. It took an hour to get in (my poor knee hurts today from all that clutch control in loooong queues!), but myself and Beatrix certainly enjoyed getting back into searching for vintage treasures, haggling and chatting to the stallholders once again. And eating meaty treats (Bea, not me).

Here's what we came home with.

First of all - and I think this has to be my star buy of the day - some more Dean Enid Blytons for my small but growing collection. I have never read The Magic Faraway Tree, and it was one of the books read by another group of the Pretty Nostalgic Vintage Book Club while we were reading The Wind in the Willows in Sheffield, so I'm very pleased to have a copy in my collection at last. Will it make me have psychedelic dreams?

There was even a makeshift bookmark inside one, on very 1970's paper!

Here is my Dean & Son collection as it stands now.

Next, and speaking of The Wind in the Willows, here are two Ladybird books I snapped up. The first has gorgeous illustrations and makes a wonderful introduction to the story for young readers, and the second replaces a copy I had as a child, and which my now-forgiven mother gave away with a great deal other of my children's books when I was away at university. I've nearly bought them all back now! I know I had another Ladybird Disney book, and it was blue, but I can't remember what it was. I'm inclined to say Peter Pan. I do remember that they came from Woolworths! 

"The clever men at Oxford

Know all there is to be knowed

But none of them knows half as much

As intelligent Mr Toad!"

There was a shiny motor car like this one in the car park at the car boot sale yesterday. Fate! Poop poop!

More books. I have never owned these two Beatrix Potter Ladybirds before but I think I have read them, so can only assume I borrowed them from the library when very small. The photo illustrations are nothing like Potter's drawings but are still rather lovely.

A collection of Ladybirds, scooped up at 50p each. It's quite rare to find them these days.

This decoupage had to come home with me. This is my very favourite of the Mrs Tiggywinkle illustrations, because she looks so cheeky! In fact she reminds me a little of my gran! This will look splendid on my gallery wall along with my Beatrix Potter Alice in Wonderland picture. 

Lastly, some linens, which reminded me of both a Spring day and the talented Jenny of The Custards. Apologies for the pre-wash photos...

And here they are, resplendent and clean on the washing line, after I'd done my own Mrs. Tiggywinkle act. Not bad for 25p each. 

So after that quite literary acquisitions update, have you found any treasures recently?

Miniature Inspiration: Emma Metcalfe's Doll's House Pub

So you know how my long-term doll's house project is furnishing a Victorian pub, right? I may have mentioned it! Anyway, when this amazing pub by talented miniaturist Emma Metcalfe appeared on the Dolls House Emporium's Facebook page last week, having won third prize (third?!) in their Creative Competition last year, I just knew I had to show you. I want you to see the kind of amazing work that got me into miniatures in the first place. 

It's the quirky, personal touches. The way Emma has created something that we would never get to experience in the modern world. I was blown away by her creation.

Emma also won the competition in 2011 with her Welsh nineteenth century cottage. I also adored this project. I really like Emma's use of Welsh slate, something I have incorporated into my doll's house to honour my own link with the Snowdonia area, having visited my grandparents there all my life. 

If you could create any scene in miniature, from any time period, what would you choose? This is one hobby I don't think I'll ever fall out of love with.