Boxes and swap

Sometimes I am the recipient of such thoughtful kindnesses it takes my breath away. I am not sure what I've done to deserve this, as I am a grumpy so and so at the best of times...so thank you to my sweet friend Francie, who sent me the most amazing box of bits and bobs, all of it beautifully packed and smelling gorgeous, as it should do, from the gracious lady who runs the Scented Cottage shop. Aromatic vintage seed packets, bubblegum and bubbles, and best of all, art supplies - I get through pencils like wildfire, until they are tiny stumps. And such a useful holder which is now one of the few things allowed on my precious workspace. Some tubes of yellows and greens, which form the main part of my palette, including aureolin yellow, which I have never used, but is my new favourite colour.

I am somewhat embarrassed about this next, as it is my end of a vintage book swap held by Jenny at the Polka Dot Pixie blog - that is to say, my partner, Jen (another) of the Jennifer Yellow Hat blog sent me my bit and I have not yet done my bookmark to accompany the books I have for her. I hate excuses, but I have been all week working on artwork revisions for a couple of jobs. It is on my list of things to do before I go completely grey. So if she is reading this, I am sorry, and I am on it. And thank you so much for the lovely books - Moshi the Jackal, which is wonderfully illustrated and a blast from my past, the Ladybird book of Heath and Woodland birds.

Coming in last but certainly not least, this Tardis-like box from Captain Rupert, with a little help from Joanna of Higgledy Piggledy blog. Who would have thought that so small a box could hold so many delights? Just when I thought I'd emptied it of - lucky cat fortune cards, Jo's beautifully seed packets, a sachet of Charbonnel and Walker hot chocolate, mulled wine spice bundles, one of Jo's cards, AND a lovely Jo-illustrated recipe for plum cake - I found one of her rosehip hearts nestling at the bottom, in a bed of red tissue. Thank you so much to both of you, but especially to Captain Rupert, for his kind thoughts.

(All pictures go bigger if clicked on, Blogger has squished them a bit).

Little deeds of kindness

And the weather here today is - wet and grey. Just time for a long walk before the Heavens opened. Roll on Midsummer.

We are officially better. Thank you so much for everyone's good wishes. We also officially have a new bathroom floor, after this -

I know, not very salubrious. This was before the plumber put some new boarding down. But nice not to have the floor sagging or the loo wobbling. Or dripping into the kitchen sink. Always nice not to have that.

How about this then - a lovely present mysteriously left at the Hovel door by the Strawberry Fairy? Strawberries, cream and shortbread, with a sweet little note...

(thank you Strawberry Fairy!)

...or this little piece of gorgeousness, an early birthday present - in my favourite burnt orange?

(thank you Penny)

On a sadder note, this perfect wild rose is for my recently departed online friend - and friend of many - Daisy Lupin, who delighted us with her musings and writing. She had so many gifts and so much love and beauty in her - I will miss her. Yet somewhere, I am sure, she is walking through a grassy meadow, with her little cat at her heels, listening to the wind rustling through the trees and wondering if the dream she just had was real.

'Ever drifting down the stream -
Lingering in the golden gleam -
Life, what is it but a dream?
(Lewis Carroll, 'Alice through the Looking Glass')

Catching up with P's and Q's

Before I revert back to rambling on about the small things of country life and my faltering illustration career, (anyone want to buy a used paintbrush? One careful lady owner?) I'd like to publicly thank some lovely people who have sent me equally lovely things - apologies if this sounds like a great big gloat-fest, but mother taught me that it's kindly good manners to say thank you - and even more so if they are over due.

There were a couple of bad experiences with the mail in 2006. My end of a vintage book exchange vanished into the ether between the USA and here. But amazingly, Vintage Chica persevered and sent me out another, which arrived almost smothering our poor Posty, a small pair of legs disappearing under a large box. This contained my wonderful classic book - 'Little House on the Prairie', by Laura Ingalls Wilder which all good American girls know (and quite a lot over here). I can remember my mum finding 'Little House in the Big Woods' in the public library, and suggesting I read it. At the age of 8 or so, and having a very sheltered TV-less life, I didn't want to read about other children in that far off place, America, (where?) which was simply a distant name to me - insular child that I was. But within the first chapter, I was hooked, and swiftly devoured it and the rest of the series - all borrowed from the libray, so I have no copies of my own. Until now...

Of course, it is illustrated by the amazing Garth Williams. I immediately curled up with it and yet again was transported far away and long ago. The magic of the author's writing still encaptivated me and I have been loving re-reading it again.




To accompany it, some domestic delights - a jar of red currant sauce, a darling little apron, and best of all a vintage rolling pin, (I have a weakness for old rolling pins) which has joined my collection. It will be put into pastry action, as I like to use all my pins; it seems so sad to let them get dusty and unused simply because they are 'collectable'. Thank you Vintage Chica, not only for putting together such a thoughtful box, but for having the generosity to send a second one to replace the 'vanished' one.

The second mishap, post-wise, was my SOSF gift from Ms Robyn. It went missing and we had both given it up for lost. In the meantime, she sent me an enchanting bundle of delicate gifts...



...but at last, the missing parcel turned up, safe and sound. Two months later. It was a handcrafted Goddess doll, one of Ms Robyns finest. Where she had been and what adventures she had been through, she would not say. But here she is, on the wall, as enigmatic as a Goddess should be. Thank you Robyn!

And thank you to Maya and Tara for your everlasting kindness, but most of all for your friendship and support over the last year and beyond.

Edibles and herbal goodness from Tara's garden (no prizes for guessing which idiot made a jug of herbal tea from the 'tub-tea-bags' and drank it...not realising they were for bath soaking purposes...country bumpkin strikes again).

To all my artist, crafting and illustrator friends, whose personal cards and 'bits' always have pride of place, and their own exhibition space -


and to Gail, for this little fellow...

and huge hugs to my dear non-blogging-but-still-precious friend 'nursie', who sent me this treasure trove of trinkets from a Christmas market...incuding tiny toadstools which will keep all year round.



You are all prime examples of what the SOSF is all about - that it is better to give than to receive. To give because the other person will get pleasure from the gift, and not simply to get something back. That is why we think of ourselves as a friendship network, not a 'swop' group. Somehow it's nicer that way.

( I have been rubbish at gifting recently and mean to improve on this in 2007!)