Grey Monday

What a horrible grey day. So chilly! I cracked out the woolly tights today, had to be done. I'm off to choir in a bit, tra la laa! Looking forward to a bit of a singsong to lift the spirits. On the subject of lifting the spirits, here are a few recent photographs:

Graphic potato! Raised a chuckle yesterday!

Fifi, Queen of Slumber (and my hand).

Silly, but had to be done!

Pearl and Fifi! Almost looking like friends... think it's going to take a while longer... 

(Look at Fifi's little squishy face!!)

In other news, I really really really really would like a screen printing kit or, ideally, a Gocco Print. Swoon. Literally have no funds though. It's a dire time. 

Fifi!

Hello all - today we got a new kitten! The newest member of the Peajeux household is young Fifi. She's ten weeks old and small and cute, as kittens ought to be. We thought she and Pearl could be companions for one another, lookin' out for each other, huntin' flies together, sleepin' sound together etc. 

Anyhow, here's Fifi (one of four - her siblings are called Mimi, Kiki and Pipi):

And yes, that is her litter tray. She seemed to want to sleep in it!

Today I Made...

Fiveeeee teacup caaaards. 

Ate four Cadbury's Roses, drank three cups of tea, had two slices of cheese on toast and made a special brooooooch.

These cards are now available from my Folksy Shop. And they'll be available as prints from next week. 

On to the brooch! It took far longer than I expected it to take. It comprises of blue, teal and silver tiny beads stitched on to pale blue felt, with a turquoise blanket-stitched edge. I've also got a nice shiny turquoise box to put it in. Observe:

Now, when Pearl heard my camera clicking away, she just couldn't pass by the opportunity to get in a few shots. Anything for attention. Seriously, I didn't put her here - she arranged herself. I might have put the brooch on her head, but she said she didn't mind. She agreed that it also made a fetching head decoration.

Felty Friday: A Day For Crafting Rediscoveries

I've got some ideas for making brooches today, so am going to head off to the craft shop (literally down the road - lucky me!) to buy some felt to make them with. Then I need to rediscover how a needle and thread work. I'm also very very tempted to learn how to properly knit, since reading so many lovely blogs from knitters and seeing the wonderful variety of homely autumn knits now available on Etsy and Folksy and the like. I'm thinking a scarf may be a good place to start? Surely not much can go wrong there?

Having said that, I'm not starting from a particularly strong knitting background. The first thing I ever knitted when I was about 6 was rather unique. I had some lime green plastic needles and a ball of red wool, and armed with mother's knitting song of "In through the bunny hole, round by the trees, over the mountain and off to sea", I managed to knit a small, knotty square, no bigger than 2 inches in width or height. Somewhat pleased with my efforts, and a little impatient to continue whilst there were other more exciting things to be doing (like pouring glitter into the carpet to make it sparkly), I decided to tie a length of elastic to my creation and wore it over my nose. This was my 'nose warmer'. I'm surprised it hasn't caught on! Maybe I should patent it...

Storm In A Teacup

Just finished a pen and ink drawing yesterday and have been adding colour on Photoshop, trying out various colour schemes. I think I'll go with the top one, but thought I'd post a few for you to look at. This will be available as a print and as cards on my shop soon. 

Where I'd Like To Work

Having finished university quite some months ago, the small remains of my student loan have been eaten up buying badge machines and card supplies and tickets to see My Fair Lady (this might need a blog of its own!). Obviously my dream is to make enough money being a full time illustrator. The reality, however, is proving somewhat different. 

Anyway, this is a long-winded way of saying that my ideal place to work at the moment would have to be somewhere like Ark, a gorgeous vintage gift shop in Cambridge. It's full of inspirational, beautiful things, and I could fit part-time shifts there around my drawing and craft making. And as it's such a gorgeous shop, I thought I should post a few photos up here too! 

Outside their Norfolk Street shop. (Photo found on their website.)

And outside their St Mary's Passage shop, off the market square. 

(Again, photo found on their website.)

I'd rather like one of these travel rugs to take on an Autumn picnic. 

© Ark Home & Garden Ltd 2008

If you'd like to see more of their splendid things, visit their website.

And try not to drool over your computer screen like I did! They've got a brilliant vintage clothing section on the top floors of each shop too, which is always good for a rummage - some wonderful glasses and umbrellas! Oh, and they play 1940s music, which I always want to dance to with the nearest available HYM (handsome young man). Which also reminds me - Polka Dots and Moonbeams, my favourite song of the moment, which is ironic  considering how old it is!

Omelette Diary

Following from yesterday's "I made a Spanish-Omelette" blog, which I actually posted today, I've just gone right ahead (insert American accent here) and made a little photo slide-show so you can see all those yummy photos a bit better. Soundtrack by Acid House Kings - that song makes me happy, like making tasty omelettes.