Solassi and her Cactus Babies

Morning all!
Over the last few weeks I have been working on a brand new style of doll.
As I sketched new pattern pieces I imagined a girl of maybe 11 year old, all long spindly legs after a growth spurt, still with a little clumsyness of youth, but the hint of elegance of becoming a young lady. I hoped to create a doll with a nice proportion to sew clothes for, who would enjoy twirling and admiring delicate stitchwork - who might enjoy pouring over my fabric collection with me!
Little did I know, that this fine young lady, Solassi - would share a different interest of mine!

For those of you that follow the ramblings of my blog, you may know that last year we bought a little house in need of entire renovation - rafters to the ground - everything needed doing! And while we have slowly worked away making home -  the garden has been left much to its own devices, a distant dream of next year when we can turn our attention to happy notions of herb gardens, plants for natural dyeing and perhaps a few chickens!?

 In the absence of my much needed outdoor space, I have invited the greenery indoors, and busily set about propagating easy care succulents and cacti babies to cheer up our windowsils! In truth they have near taken over! While I have carefully repotted, gently misted and whispered encouragingly to my little plant babes, Solassi has been by my side! So delighted in tiny fresh rosettes of leaves emerging, keen to find the names of every new plant and ensure each is enjoying its fair share of sunshine - who would have guessed her to have such tiny green fingers!

It wasn't long though of course before my mind wandered ( as it's prone to do!) and I found myself stitching away at a tiny cactus baby doll. Madness! but oh with their pinchy rosey cheeky, happy little smiles and soft plush fabric how could I resist! And so my collection of those grew too, each one different, some with embroidered "spines" some bursting into bloom and all extremely cuddly!

Now Solassi and I really have our hands full! The little ones have grown so fast I know really they had best venture out to find new homes!

Over the next couple of days Solassi and her Cactus babies will head to my etsy shop, I can assure you even the least green fingered gardeners will enjoy keeping these plants! xx

Atsuko Mayumi and the goldfish

Autumn! Finally my favourite season! Cosy socks, the swirling confetti of leaves caught in a breeze and all manner of warming fruit crumbles and puddings - yup this is my time of year!

October in our town sees a special highlight in the calendar - "Goose Fayre"

On this day countrymen from all over the county will visit the town to sell their geese ready to fatten up for Christmas dinner - over hundreds of years it has grown from a simple stock trading day, to a full day of festivity! Children are all permitted the day out of school to visit the markets and sample the delicious treats on offer, ride the dodgems at the fayre and waddle along with the geese at the stock trade. Its a really fun day to get together and celebrate this time of year.

This year we have had the pleasure of taking a guest along,  Atsuko Mayumi

This warm hearted little soul has been the perfect house guest - full of sunshine smiles and happy chatter - she loved walking around the fair yesterday evening with me and my boys - and was so delighted when I put a shiny 50p piece in her hand for her to spend on the helter-skelter, or on some candyfloss - or whatever she wished from the fair.

On our way home, Atsuko was lagging behind as we walked up the hill for home, I thought she was still staring after the lights and colourful commotion of the fairground, and maybe was a little tired, but as we got closer to home I realised she was struggling along, carrying something behind her back.

" what have you got there?" I asked her,

and a little sheepishly she lifted the heavy bag from out from behind her back -

" you said I could spend my penny on whatever I wanted!"

she blurted, her cheeks flushing - anticipating I might be a little less than pleased!

" his name's Lucky!" she added triumphantly " because I won him with the hoopla's!"

" the hoopla's indeed!" I chuckled! "what a lucky goldfish, we better sort him out someplace to stay"

And so Atsuko Mayumi helped find a little fishbowl and placed little Lucky inside, sitting until bedtime watching him swimming in his new home.

 We placed the bowl right next to her bed so that she could keep an eye on him all night - but you know, that sweet girl was so tired from the excitement of the fair - when I peeked in to check on them not five minutes later - she was fast asleep and dreaming!

A morning with baby Anders

It's funny how the smallest and most simple of tasks can stretch to taking up all morning! It's just the way with babies! Dressing and changing and bathing, with a good bit of playing and cuddling can really take a long time! Especially when each precious little pose needs to be photographed! I often wonder how newborn photographers manage it, every tiny smirk, wrinkle of a nose unbearably cute yawn ( which always sets me yawning too!) literally everything is scrummy about babies! They must take thousands of photos, and how do you narrow those down? This afternoon while baby Anders slept, I spent an age pondering which to include in this blog post - and well whittling over one hundred down to these few was tough!
Here is a little photo story of our morning....

Morning little sleepy head! Little Anders was up with the lark, eager to play with his favourite toys!

He played with his blocks and little knitted Bunny Bun

 Anders, like most little ones, is growing up fast!
Roughly stacking and tumbling his blocks,

he surprises me with just how well coordinated he is already!

Before too long it is time to take a bath

 Don't you just love it when they are still small enough to bathe like this, in a little basin or sink!

 Though of course keeping wriggly boys covered in bubbles is quite another thing!

 Fresh and clean we quickly pop on a new nappy...

Well .. perhaps not so quickly!

Anders is dressed in some baby soft linen overalls and a selection of classic baby knits, there really is nothing better than babies

cosied up in little woollens!

Oh Anders!

All that playing and splashing in the bath

and he is quite tuckered out!

We sit a while and snuggle, and I hum castles in the sky softly

until his little head begins to nod and his little eyes start to blink

I lay him in his crib and pull up the blankets

Then quietly tiptoe back out of the room.

Sleep tight my love xx

Fawn

I just love that fresh smell of rain, it's gentle pitter patter as it ripples the surface of the canals dark waters.

Misty mornings must be my favourite of times.

No one is about, it's just us two.

Fawn has kept me company for a long time now, at first, faint like a whisper I imagined a child with a strong stare and deep eyes like that of a little deer in the forest.

We didn't talk a lot, sometimes you just don't need words -

it's amazing how much more you see when all the world is quiet!

Fawn like her names sake would never truly be tamed - I knew she could not stay forever.

Her heart needs to roam, and so I hope that a family will open their home to this sweet child.

Prospective parents should please visit my shop for her listing.

Comments will run until 7pm est 03/05/16

Anouk from the Cirque de Coccinelle

Today a little one stopped by our house to play, scuffing her shoes on the path and idly plucking at the flowers by the gate - she told us that the Cirque de Coccinelle had come to Tavistock!

I asked her why she wasn't with her friends?

 to which she replied with a mischievous look

"Parce que je ne veux pas aider à mettre en place! " 

and skipped off merrily into the garden.

I think I need to brush up on my school French!

 Her name is Anouk - and she is the most colourful little girl imaginable! She hopped excitedly around the garden, playing tag with my two sons ( the game tag evidently universal with no language barrier at all!) a blur of patchwork, polkaspots and tattered cotton lace.

Her cheery giggle so infectious as she babbled away, enthralling us with tales which I'm sure I only partially understand!

All afternoon she delighted in demonstrating her fantastic balance, 

who else could balance a horse on her feet!?

And then like a feather on the breeze she was gone, out the garden gate and on to another adventure. Au Revoir sweet Anouk - the colourful child of the Cirque de Coccinelle!

Zak

 

A beautiful spring evening sets in, sand still warm underfoot and the bay is awake with families enjoying fish and chips in the dunes and surfers casually ambling down to the waters edge. 

Times like this I really appreciate how close we live to the coast!

 A sweet friend recently moved in land far away from the ocean and asked me to make a special doll inspired by the coast, she left all the details up to me and little Zak was born!

 

This relaxed little soul just lives life in the moment, carefree and happy!

He even has his own little ride, carefully crafted by my husband.

 

Though he still needs a hand while he practices! 

Surfing is kinda hard you know! 

The locals show us how its done, sun sinking down to meet the gentle rolling waves, we sit together soaking in the last of the day

 awaiting the evenings stars.