White Polka Dots

Love the white polka dots formed by the blank centres of this singles-record-cover patchwork.  

Colourful leftovers from a new batch of cord keepers!

More Paper Spheres

Pulling apart books for the work I do has given me a real appreciation for their construction, page quality, spine strength, etc.  I try to save pretty cover pages and have enjoyed making them up into spheres:

These 2 were made from pages from a garden book.  The leafy green jug is a retro find for sale at the markets early next month.

Maps are often printed on cover pages, and so that's what this sphere is made from:

Paper Play

Felt-Tip-Pen Cross-Stitch Rabbit and Paper Sphere: 

I've had some time to do some paper work over the past few days.   

I've been longing to try a cross-stitch pattern on book print and enjoyed my first quick attempt. 

The sphere is one of many I made a while ago.  Inspired by How About Orange, I made this one from book cover pages.

Some New Stuff, Some Old

I bought some vintage hand towels to use as floor cleaning cloths.  I don't want them confused with my genuine hand towels, so I doodled with some black embroidery on the edges to id them!  Quite liberating to stitch when it doesn't matter too much how it turns out!

Freshly Found is also heading in some new directions.  I can't say too much about that yet.  But I have completed my time at The Caboodle for now.  Still operating online and at the i♥market, Wondermarket and some products at The Fringe in Cape Town, and feeling excited about 2012!

More Life for Old Blooms

 Pretty, pretty pink roses - a gift from a friend.  

Past their prime. I used the petals and a cross-stitch pattern to make another rose! 

Some more petals in silver bowl to dry out for a while.  [Our climate is too damp for pot pourri] 

  Lovely to enjoy them for a while longer!

Happy New Year!

I love the beautifual hydrangeas that bloom in our garden at this time of the year.  

So I thought I would use them to help me to wish you everything of the best for 2012!

Vintage Kruger

Some vintage books, I just can't fold or cut up.  This book: The Kruger Park and Other National Parks by RJ Labuschagne is one of them. 

Published in 1968, beside documenting the animals in the Parks, it is such a lovely comment on South African Society at the time. 

I loved the article on the modern way of darting hippos for research.  Driving a grader into the river was much safer than sending real live biologists in!

And the foreword to the book was written from The Prime Minister's Office - BJ Vorster himself!I love the official font!

I would have been 8 years old at the time.  My first visit to the Kruger Park only happened a number of years later - but I do rememebr my mom and dad dressing very much like the mom and dad in the pic and the Johannesburg TJ car registration plate which was the predecessor of today's GP registration in Gauteng.

♥Christmas♥

As a family we celebrate this special time tonight. Dinner, presents and everyone here! 

Decorating the mantlerpiece - some tp roll candles!  A spontaneous creative project last night! 

And so I wish you a very Happy Christmas! And leave you with a couple of quotes from one of my favourite authors:

"My deepest awareness of myself is that I am deeply loved by Jesus Christ and I have done nothing to earn it or deserve it.” - Brennan Manning, The Ragamuffin Gospel

 

“Live in the wisdom of accepted tenderness. Tenderness awakens within the security of knowing we are thoroughly and sincerely liked by someone...

Scripture suggests that the essence of the divine nature is compassion and that the heart of God is defined by tenderness.” -  Brennan Manning, Abba's Child

Book Decor

I have loads of vintage books, because of the work I do with them.  I have not been able to use these vintage Reader's Digest books though, because of their beautiful patterned covers.  

So I have laid them out flat on top of a waist height cupboard in my living room.  They have become the temporary new countertop. These volumes are around 50 years old.

 

Some newer versions formed an impromptu pre-Christmas display on my table last night when we had guests round for dinner.  

I thought I would make use of the gorgeous red and the sparkly gold trim, which went well with the flickering candle light!

Stitched and Printed Vintage Paper Wrap

Patchworked, printed and stitched book pages - made up into gift wrap.  Featuring silhouettes of Dutch lace, ric-rac, etc.

Finished size approximately 80 x 60 cm - [32 x 24in].  Ideal [but not exclusive] for wrapping Christmas gifts!

Available at both the i♥market on Saturday and the Wondermarket in Umhlanga on Sunday.  Also soon in the online store!

Cord Holders

These pics are giving a rather technical air to my blog.  

Vinyl wrap cord holders keep my cords neat at home, and will be for sale at the market tomorrow too!

 Made from single records!

Market Day

Saturday's market was a lovely busy day.  Thanks to my husband who helped me set up for taking these pics!

Freshly Found has booked double stands for the month of December and there are still another 2 markets to go!

Thanks to so many of you for popping by!