THRIFTY LAMPSHADE MAKEOVER

I don't know about you, but this rainy, grey weather's really getting me down! It's my day off today and I usually see everyone off in the morning and then get ready to have a morning browsing round the charity shops, but in this weather, I just don't feel motivated.  

I felt like being creative and really wanted to bake, but that isn't very compatible with Weight Watchers ... couldn't decide what to do, then out of the corner of my eye, I saw this ...

A dated, unloved, lampshade that was just 'making do' until something better came along.  I ripped the old tatty braid off the bottom of the shade ...

 and then off the top, so that it now looked like this (rather dejected, a bit like me at the moment!) ...

and then got out my little stash of paper tapes ... I bought most of these very cheaply off Ebay, there are loads to choose from, and they're great for adding a trim to pictures, presents and to make strings of mini bunting with ...

I decided on the faded red polka dot one, as I didn't really want the pattern to be fighting with the curtains for attention, and we all benefit from a little dottiness in our lives, let's face it!

I stuck it down around the top, then over the rim and down each 'rib' of the shade, until it looked like this ...

Using my trusty glue gun, I then added a bit of bobble trim, salvaged from another lampshade I didn't like, and this is the finished product!!

What do you think? Is it a bit mad? It took 10 minutes, no sewing involved, and cost practically nothing because I already had everything in, and it's made me happy! Hopefully the tape will stay put, but if not I'll just put a few blobs of glue down each line. Of course, you crafty lot could do it properly, ie, by sewing braid or ribbon down each rib and stitching on the bobbles, but I needed instant gratification this morning!

I shall now spend the rest of the day wandering around the house, glue gun in hand, wondering what I can titivate next! Please share your 'cheap as chips' craft tips with me, because I love to make something out of nothing!

Am getting a little stash of goodies together for the 'Jar of Love' swap, how are you all getting on?

Hope you all have a fabulous weekend and that it turns out fine for you!

See you soon, Claire xxx

JAR OF LOVE SWAP

Have just found out that the pair-ups have been announced for the Jar of Love Swap on http://booty-fullthings.blogspot.co.uk.  I have been teamed with http://madisonmakes.blogspot.co.uk/, which is a new blog to me, but am looking forward to finding out what Madison likes, and hopefully, filling a jar with things that she will love!

I have until the end of July to fill my jar, so need to get cracking and source some lovely items for her.

I have never done a swap before, so am very interested in the concept of it ... introducing like-minded people to each other and sharing this in Blogland!

Thank-you Katie, for hosting this, and am looking forward to seeing all the filled jars in August!

Have a lovely week,

Love, Claire xxx

I wandered lonely as a cloud - again!!

Hello, sorry to everyone who has already read this post when it was first aired, but I was trying to do my award post on my ipad  (I never do a post on my ipad, always on The Big Computer) and somehow deleted this post.  I couldn't get it back, however hard I tried, couldn't find it anywhere, but my lovely friend Julie somehow has, and so I'm putting it back on again as I want a record of a lovely day out!  (I know that otherwise I would forget I'd deleted it and be looking frantically for it!)

Posted: 11 Jun 2012 04:31 AM PDT

Before I start waffling on, can I just say a Very Big Welcome to all my lovely new followers!

Have had a lovely weekend, with a  fuller house than usual, as my second son, Jacob, who lives in Leeds, came home for a few days, bringing with him his lovely girlfriend, Jules.  All the rest of the family were home too, so have had a nice family weekend with days out, a bit of carbooting, Chinese takeaway, fish and chips and board games. 

Got up early on Sunday and was expecting it to be pouring down as the weather forecast wasn't good, but was actually quite a nice day in the offing.  Picked my friend Kath up and went to the car boot at the end of the road (the one I went to where I got all the lovely treasures which I did a post about).  This is what I found:

2 orignal Hummel pictures
Cath Kidston Travel Set
Vintage half a cup from the Isle of Wight
2 Fawn Candle Holders
1988 Christmas Plate
Random Jewellery
Next Patchwork Flowery Bag

Came back laden and by then the sun was getting quite hot so we decided to have A Day Out in The Lakes.  Jules is from London originally and now lives in Leeds and hadn't been to the Lake District, so we had to put that right!

The Lake District was packed with tourists as we drove through Bowness and Ambleside.  A sunny day brings everyone out, and it was the last day of half term so everyone was making the most of the unexpected nice weather.  We decided to go to Grasmere and though the first car park we tried was full it wasn't as thronging as the previous places.  We parked up and ambled along to one of my favourite places ... Dove Cottage, home of one of the Lakeland Poets, William Wordsworth.

The house is gorgeous, just what I aspire to one day living in! A chocolate box cottage with roses round the door! You can just imagine WW sitting at that upstairs window, looking out at his beloved fells beyond ...

The side of the cottage ... I like the way the reflection on that latticed window looks like a perfect heart ...

A slate with a message on, taken from Dorothy Wordsworth's (William's sister) journal.  I have a paperback copy of this, and it is fascinating to get an insight into how they lived their everyday lives.  212 years ago, to the day, a snippet of Dorothy's entry for that day ... "A cold yet sunshiny morning.  John carried letters to Ambleside.  I made tarts, pies, etc.  Wm stuck peas.  After dinner he lay down.  John not at home.  I stuck peas alone.  Molly washing.  Cold showers with hail and rain, but at half past five after a heavy rain the lake became calm - and very beautiful".  Can't help but think if Dorothy was around now, her blog would be fabulous, because she paints such a lovely picture with her words.

The side garden at Dove Cottage.

We left Dove Cottage and walked along the lane into the village, where the hotels and shops have many references towards Wordsworth ...

"Feel free to wander lonely or as a crowd" ... very clever!

To the Grasmere Gingerbread shop ... I wish I could relay the smells to you that waft from this lovely shop, the only place in the world allowed to call its product Grasmere Gingerbread.  There have been legal wrangles in recent years, but the closely guarded, centuries old recipe, thankfully won!

A little touch of Jubilee Spirit by the side of the door ... and on to the churchyard, where William and Dorothy Wordsworth and other members of their family are buried.  A very peaceful, tranquil place, despite the hordes of tourists passing through ...

We walked over the bridge where lots of mallards were congregating, being fed by diners at the riverside restaurant ...

Distant cousins of the pair who visited our garden on Friday (yes, I know the grass needs cutting, we have had lots of rain!) ...

We then left Grasmere and trundled along to Ambleside for a cream tea ...

Then on to Bowness where we just had to stop here ...

And then home to fish and chips (I can feel the excuses coming on already, when I step on the scales at WW tonight!)

I'll leave you with this image, have to go and prepare a roast for this evening, Jacob's looking far too thin!

Thank you for bearing with me, you probably have a feeling of deja vu!

Have a lovely week,

Love, Claire xxx

SUNSHINE AWARD!!!

I have just found out that I have been nominated for the Sunshine Award by the lovely Cheryl from My Little Piece of England ... this is my first award, thank you so much Cheryl, you've really made my day! I got all excited and started to create this post using my ipad, and stupidly have deleted my last post about Wordsworth, does anyone have any idea how to get it back? Sorry back to the award!

The Rules:

1.   Thank the blogger that nominated you - Thank you again, Cheryl!

2.   Answer 10 questions about your favourite things.

3.   Nominate 10 blogs and let them know.

Questions

Favourite Animal - Dog - how could I say anything else, Ruby would never forgive me

Favourite Number - 7, since I was little I thought it was a bright, shiny number

Favourite Non-Alcoholic Drink - Tea - I drink buckets of it

Facebook or Twitter - FB, but not really a fan

My Passion - All things vintage (my family and friends are obviously the most important thing in my life, but that goes without saying)

Getting or Giving - I love looking for or making the perfect present for someone, but like to receive things too, especially if thought has gone into it, doesn't matter how big or small, cheap or expensive, what matters is the time someone has given to make it special.

Favourite pattern - Does this mean sewing, knitting or crochet pattern? I can't really follow patterns, just make things up as I go along! If it's a favourite print then it's Cath Kidston Paris Roses.

Favourite Day of Week - I always get the Friday Feeling!

Favourite Flower - Tulips/Daffodils in spring, Roses any other time (sorry, that'S 3)

Favourite Country - Love Greece, but am always ready to come home, so GB!

Now for my ten nominated blogs, was very difficult choosing just ten, but after lots of thought, I went for relatively new blogs, and in no particular order, (apart from alphabetically) so there's no squabbling, they are

Aunt Jane's Attic
Down by the Sea
Four Happy Bunnies
Goodnight Prudence
Little Chicken Scratch
Priddy Priddy
Rosey Tinted Spectacles
Streetcomber
Tangled Sweetpea
Where the Moon Sleeps

Thanks again Cheryl, hope you all have a wonderful weekend, and now to see if I can get my last post back!
Any help with that would be gratefully received!

Love, Claire xxx

AND THE WINNER IS .....

Jubilee Weekend

Have had a very eventful past few days, and feel a bit worse for wear today, as my friend Kath came round last night for a quiet drink, and to watch the Jubilee concert on the telly ... we were busy putting the world to rights, and before we knew it, it was 2 am, so am not the liveliest person in the world at the moment, so please bear with me as I might ramble on a bit, or disappear completely!

My lovely Giveaway prize from Bellaboo at Bella's Country arrived midweek, beautifully wrapped and beribboned ...

Thank you Bella for picking me, it was a lovely giveaway, and I feel very lucky to have won your lovely presents. (Can I just apologise for the quality of my pictures, must get a better camera!)

On Sunday, me and Millie got up with the lark to a dreary, wet and windy day ... the morning of the long awaited Jubilee Celebrations, which have been planned for a year.  We had packed the car the day before and my little Micra was stuffed to the ginnels with tea trolleys, cupboards, crates and boxes, with not an inch to spare!  Dressed in a dotty dress and Cath Kidston wellies off we went to a sodden field with dejected looking swingboats, 

and marquees, resplendent in bunting and jubilation ... and do you know what, we had a fab day! Although the sun didn't make an appearance the Great British public sallied forth in their kagoules and wellies, and a good time was had by all! Let's face it, if we waited for lovely sunny days, we'd never go anyway, or do anything, would we?

Our marquee

Millie and our stall (as I've said before, it's amazing what you can get in a Micra!)

We had a really good day, and went home with a lot less than we arrived with, thankfully! I sold the little cupboard I showed you on a previous post, and also another rosy, dotty bedside table (and received an order for another).  I love these fairs, because you meet such lovely people,  customers and stallholders alike, who can tell you tales about your wares (Oh! I remember my Grannie had one of those ... and we've got one of those in the attic somewhere).

We were entertained by fabulous Lindy Hop Dancers

and the amazing Swingaroo Sisters ... sadly it was their final performance that day as they are disbanding.  Such a shame as they were fabulous, and sang songs from the 40's and 50's (We'll Meet Again, Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy, etc) ...

and of course we had to have the amazing afternoon tea, but was so busy eating it, forgot to photograph it!

Millie and her friends...

On Sunday, the weather was better (typical), so me and Millie went to a Vintage Fair in Ulverston, which was in a lovely hall, all art deco extravagance and gilding, was a really lovely setting, so we may join this too in the future.  I didn't take any photos inside, as I didn't know any of the stallholders so didn't like to, but this lovely lady was outside...

She wasn't really dressed for the weather though, unlike these three ...

Ulverston is the birthplace of Stan Laurel, and is very proud of its famous Hollywood actor son.There is a world famous Laurel and Hardy museum in the town.  

We took the scenic route home ... (Millie took these photos through the windscreen, in between stopping to pick big bunches of cow parsley and buttercups)  ...

where we wrote out all the names of our lovely Giveaway entrants ...

Put them in a vintage hat ...

Drum roll please ......

And the winner is  ....

Four Happy Bunnies! 

Congratulations to you, and if you could please email me with your details, I will send it out to you as soon as possible.  Commiserations to everyone else, but hope you've all had a lovely Jubilee Weekend.

See you soon, 

Claire xxxx

GIVEAWAY & CELEBRATIONS

Just a quick line to remind you, if you haven't entered, my giveaway is being drawn on Monday, so just leave a comment if you'd like to be included. You don't have to be a follower, anyone can enter, but a very warm welcome to all my latest members. Tomorrow I'll be up bright and early setting my stall out at the Jubilee Celebration at Railway Meadow, Dalton-in-Furness, Cumbria, so if you're in the area, pay a visit,as it should be a fabulous day!