Thursday 21 June 2012

Giveaway Time!

Hooray for 200 followers! 

I love the blogging community thing and find being part of it a constant source of inspiration. I've made some great friends, learnt loads, had some lovely commissions, discovered new crafts (that I didn't need!) and so much more. 

So what better way to celebrate than with a second chipper giveaway?!



Alongside making things with wood and paper I have a passion for books. Especially vintage children's books. 

And since my first giveaway was all about Ladybird, I thought I'd make this one all about Alice In Wonderland!

If I'm honest it's not one of my favourite stories (in fact it creeps me out a little) but I LOVE the original illustrations. SOooooo....I've made three things to win!

The first is a box of blocks!
 I've covered the little box in pages of the book
 It closes with a magnetic catch and is finished with a glass cabochon. It measures 10 x 10 x 5cm.
the white rabbit is on the underneath...
Inside are four blocks (4cm each) covered in the best bits of the book, alongside some of the memorable quotes
It will come wrapped and with a handmade 
vintage style luggage label.Hopefully if it's not your thing you will know of someone you can gift it to!
The second is a set of three 5cm blocks
covered in the beautiful illustrations
 ..wrapped and with a handmade tag and old key!
And lastly a set of nine handmade luggage labels
Which could combine nicely with brown paper wrapping...
...or string together to make bunting!!
There are three ways to enter:

1) firstly simply follow my blog

2) for a further chance to win visit my facebook page, and share my giveaway

3) for a final entry pop my giveaway button on your sidebar, or mention my giveaway on your blog


Make sure that you leave a separate comment for each entry so I can use a number generator to pick three winners.


last entry will be midnight on Sunday 1st July. Open to all! 
[edit: ANYWHERE in the world!!!]

I really hope you like my makes...and thank you for sharing the chipper nelly love
fee x

Monday 11 June 2012

Birthday Part 2: colour

What a lovely week in blogland. Anita's Paris party  was a tour de force - I didn't actually GO to Paris you understand (more's the pity) it was a blog hop (realise in my excitement I didn't mention that!) although I did spend an inordinate amount of time on Jet2's website looking at flights the following day!
My Mum enjoyed looking at the photo of her and Dad on my Paris post  - and especially loved reading all the nice comments. I made some new blogging pals too (hello! hope you've come back)

Anyway - I now have a backlog of posts to write (including a long overdue giveaway to celebrate 200 followers - which I'm in the middle of planning) but first please indulge me in sharing the last of my birthday treats - the colourful bit! Thanks also for appreciation of the vintage neutrals - Cleggy is indeed chief wrapper and conspirator, and he too makes lots of friends along the way!       
So, you know that beauuuuutiful adorned case in birthday part 1? well it wasn't alone.
There was another...this time a TRUNK, covered in all my favourite 'for•the•hall•one•day' wallpapers from Pip Studio. It was a stroke of genius - they were all samples so (almost) free! I did wonder where all my velvet turquoise ribbon had gone though....

The inside was covered in old maps (another favourite) and the inside of the lid in my favourite images including some more family pictures
         
(that top left is my favourite of my Mum as a girl - 
in her buttoned up cardy!)
see the Eiffel Tower there Anita???
Here's the trunk beforehand (thanks Cleggy!)
 Here it is in all it's glory - I love it:
       
Inside all the colourful tissue (also from my workshop!) were packets of special coffee beans (I'm a picky addict) which I'm working my way through.


On the train journey to London last week I crocheted some bunting for the kitchen - and it coincidently matches the case perfectly - which is why it's in all the photos!
...and here it is at the kitchen window
My siblings also know me well (I reckon I'm the easiest in the family to buy for!). Family Bryce-Kisby bought this wonderful book by Pip Lincolne (Nelly and I both LOE meetmeatmikes.com)
ace pictures!
I want to make BOTH these dresses...
And family Bryce-Yang bought the most delicious collection of special chocolates - all inside a vintage tin. A winning combo (with special coffee and a really good sewing book!)

And as if that wasn't enough treats, my BFF Jane (she ofof teawagontales.blogspot.co.uk) made me a blanket of gorgeousness. One of our favourite things to do in the summer (should we have one) is to take our gang of boys on their bikes to the local park, whereupon they eat chips and play cops and robbers (or whatever it is they play these days) and we crochet on our rugs. This is my new 'crochet and chips' rug:

            So that's it - birthday show and tell over. 
...however...
amidst all the Jubilee celebrations The Granny also had a birthday. She spent it at a wedding on the beach in Cornwall
(not hers)
 but we celebrated on her return. 
We made her a new home sign for the gate leading to her house
(new friends - she lives beneath us in her Garden Granny flat!)
The heart surround is painted in the same colour as our front door - using acrylic paint. It felt a bit wrong to actually paint a victorian brick...who am I kidding? It was fun!
Both the heart and the sign are finished in outdoor mod podge.
We (siblings) also bought her a climbing rose for outside her front door - I'll save that picture for when the flowers are in bloom. And a crate full of her favourite red geraniums for under this sign. Unfortunately the week of rain we've had since has knocked the majority of petals off but here's a photo anyway, in case that's as good as they ever look!
I don't think you can beat a red geranium!
fee x

Friday 8 June 2012

Paris 2012



It was lovely to visit Paris last year with Anita 
so I am delighted to be taking 
a trip again this Spring!
Here is my contribution a chunky wooden block inspired by both my talented friend and a beautiful city.
 I also include one of my favourite ever photographs and the best love story in our family (after mine!);
that of my Mum and Dad.

They honeymooned in La Ville-Lumiere in 1967, and although no longer with us 
he is still the love of her life! 
This is them on a boat on La Seine, 
Moet on ice!

Thank you Anita
Love fee x

Monday 4 June 2012

A Chipper Jubilee In Pictures

Loving cake (a little too much)
loving a glimpse of blue sky
loving my workshop in the sun
Loving The Granny!

Ginger beer and lime....Mmmmm
always love a gazeebo
Love how easy it was to find red, white and blue in our wardrobes...
loving our own Queen!
Loving Instagram! (and more food)
Loving lipstick!


Luca loving Ned
Loving my little brother and his family 
(neither Sonny nor Luca loving the camera!)
Loving my little sister and her family
I love YOU Cleggy! Fee x


Friday 1 June 2012

Birthday Part 1: vintage neutrals

So, it was my birthday (again...how?) and I was treated like a proper Princess (as opposed to the house slave I usually refer to!) I spent the day doing NOTHING...bliss. We had planned a walk and a picnic but ended up waiting in the the man to fix the boiler!  
The boys have been working away on some 'projects' up in the loft room for a good few weeks...and I finally got to see the efforts of their labour. 
My presents came in 2 parts - the neutral and the bright. Here's part 1:
Cleggy, known for his present wrapping skills, raised the bar again with the most magnificent vintage case.
We have been collecting cases for a while now to use as storage in the upstairs hall - although I'm not sure I could ever actually use this one for anything other than looking at:
It's adorned with a mixture of papers, doilies, buttons, keys, tags, tickets and other paraphernalia, some from my own workshop. I don't mind...they are usually things I love so much I can't bear to use them...so it's nice to have them on presents made for me! 
[the clay hearts are by clever Naomi, fellow notonthehighstreet seller, here's the link 
http://littlebrickhouseclayworks.blogspot.co.uk/ ]
The real beauty is that all the photos are of my relations - mostly on my Dad's side. They are all long gone, as is my Dad, who died when I was young, so these 
little bits of history are real treasures 
(Don't worry siblings...they are scanned copies, not the originals)
The elegant lady is my beautiful Grandma (Nelly!) Check out that hand! Wish I'd inherited her height!
Anyway - inside was full of wonderful packages
And inside the parcels were a range of pictures and hangings and frames - all ready to adorn the biggest wall in the lounge. And the beauty of these are that they either use, or have been inspired by doilies! Lots of them were made by my maternal Grandma (wee Jeanie!) also long gone. The Granny thinks her Mum would love (and laugh!) at me using them now.
About 14 months ago I blogged about my love of a local Manchester artist called Lee Page Hanson. We have a few bits and pieces of his work from over the years (including a little pendant from Nelly) around the house - and have asked him to make special things for friends over the years too. His work is both beautiful and timeless. Cleggy asked him to do a collection of things inspired by the doily - so round plates and tiles (and nuggets) incorporating butterflies, birds and print (my favourite!)

They are absolutely gorgeous (Cleggy's homemade birthday card = top left, complete with one of lee's nuggets. chuckle)
The work is intricately embossed and adorned with shiny metals. They are hard to capture in a photo - I'll try to take some more when they are all up on the wall.
Cleggy then used Lee's work and combined it with frames, plates and mirrors, mostly vintage, to create a veritable gallery! They will look great next to that giant clock we bought earlier in the year (here)
Lee I LOVE them - you are so clever. I can't wait for you to see them all hanging together.

Cleggy also commissioned Annabelle from three red apples to make an embroidery for the same wall - and it fits in so well. The work is called 'a little bird to tell you I love you'...
I have yet to peruse Annabelle's blog (and shop) - but I'll be off to stalk her later!
[I've just realised I've already pinned some of 
Annabelle's work!]
The boys also made matching cards - here are the neutral ones:
Clearly that is more than enough for any birthday....not so! (no wonder we've got no bloomin' money!)

He also asked my blogging pal Anita to create something special- and  she absolutely did.
This little piece of whimsical art is so adorable - it's called 'you are my perfect fit'.
It's like a little shadow box, adorned with trinkets and a flourish here and there. A bejewelled crown sits on top with a little bird. Inside is a pair of shoes (I LOVE shoes) and outside is one of Anita's little paintings of Cinderella and her Prince.
 
Anita also sent me a wand! I don't recall ever having a wand before - so here I am (playing in the garden with my camera this morning!) with my first wand at 41!
[Anita - I hope you knew when you were making these gifts that they are right up my 'whimsical with meaning' street and that I would love them? They will be going in my bedroom boudoir where I will look at it every morning and know how lucky I am]

I know Anita has lots of visitors to her blog but if you haven't been there yet you MUST! She uses the most exquisite images and writes beautifully - it's good for the soul!
Here are all my 'neutral' doily and whimsy inspired gifts together on the fireplace - still waiting for the large tin of paint to be opened...making me the only person hoping for a couple of dull days next week.
 
Now, recognising that this set of pictures are beyond beautiful, and hearing my little sister and The Granny saying 'how do you make your house look so nice when it's such a mess' I actually took some photos of the kitchen and dining room for a 'real life' show and tell. But I just couldn't do it. 

Bearing in mind that in the last week the dishwasher, washing machine, printer (crucial for chipper nelly) boiler and car have all broken  it's been grim on the cleanliness front! I've even struggled to provide clean pants (my base requirement as a crap housewife). Apart from anything else I was seriously worried that someone would phone environmental health, or at the very least suggest pest control (ant invasion in kitchen - great!)

So I'm not going to share. This is my happy place.
And goodness knows we all need some happy.
Birthday part 2, colour (and giveaway!) coming soon
fee x
I will share one little photo of Minnie though...this pig has driven me literally crazy this week with her escaping and injuring of ducks! Nelly has suggested getting a spit ready for the Jubilee weekend...just to make her think about what she's done!!!