This weeks carboot loot...

I must admit to being somewhat of a carboot/charity shop/table top sale addict...I simply CANNOT drive past one without a little nosey about. I happened across a carboot sale today and found these treasures..

 Gorgeous vintage kids books from the 70/80's and my gavourite magazines...for 50p woohoo!

I also bought this dinky little box...which my daughter has (yet again) claimed. It is now her 'Cabinet of Curiousities' and is home to an eclectic selection of objects..and a new collection of dead bees! Yes...she is most definately taking after her mother!

I bought this 1950's bird cage last week and it will shortly be transformed into something magical and unexpected! I can't wait to start work on it! 

 but..yet again..it has been claimed by my daughter..I wil have to steal it back when she gets bored of it!

Well...got to run..we are attempting to have a bonfire and bbq although the wind has picked up quite a bit so I'm hoping I wont burn down the Orchard! Ive got marshmallows at the ready..

Take care and I hope you've had a fun Summer too.... Love from Lisa...the DoTtY BiRd xxxxx

I bought a house

hehe...a very small house! It is a very dinky little 2 bedroom cottage, about 30cm tall!!
I think I regressed back to being a little girl when I spied it. It is rather shabby inside and needs some renovations...but nothing a bit of paint and paper cant fix! As soon as I saw it I could imagine little birds living in it! I must get making some super small little birdies to live there.  I thought it would make a good prop for using on my stall when I'm at craft fairs but after getting it home realised that I don't actually have anything  small enough to fit in it!  So now i must make things to match my prop!

I do buy the most random things...I really can't be trusted in charity shops..I banned myself for a while last year but he lure of other peoples trash is too much...I cannot resist their shabby charm!

Ah well, I'm sure I will find some purpose for it!

Have you had any bargain buys lately...do you feel the draw of the charity shop...carboot sale too?

Take care my lovelies,

Dotty xxx

A busy busy Springtime!

Hello there my lovely blogging buddies...how are you on this fine Spring day? I'm feeling mighty fine, albeit exhausted after looking after crazy kids single handed seeing as Mr Dotty chose the Bank Holiday weekend to be ill..waah! Poor Mr Dotty...I am so bad at giving sympathy!

I have been feeling very inspired lately, not sure if it's the Spring time vibe but ideas are emerging at quite a rate..but, alas,  I have so very little time to make them real!

But first...i must show you the most lovely little transistor radio I found at a carboot on Saturday. It cost all of 50p and I thought it would make a fab prop on my stall at craft fairs. I was even more happy to find out that it actually works and I now have to it tuned to a fabulous French radio station. ♥ I love it! ♥

and now on to some of my makes since the last post...

I was asked to make a tea cosy by my sons teacher. It is the first one I've made and I'm rather pleased! I think it may the first of many. I must make myself one next!

next..I was asked to make an owl cushion by a friend... meet Miss Hoot!

and I'm making a window panel for another friend..

and a crocodile tail for a little birthday boy! (a last minute pressie!)

and a card for my father in law...

and finally a new little project I'm working on!!

and LOTS of washing fabric while the sun is out

phew...

I am starting to panic a little though because I've booked in for quite a few craft fairs over the Summer and I really need to get making some stock. I just can't stop myself from taking on random orders though!

Well I hope you have had a lovely sunny bank holiday weekend too! Do let me know what you are up to...are you feeling inspired too?

Take care 

Love Dotty

xxx

hoot mama

Will I never tire of Owls...? Perhaps not me thinks! I am doing a stall at the school fair on Saturday and I'm sewing like a crazy woman to get some goodies ready for it! I am known by my nearest and dearest as 'Last Minute Lisa'.

I picked up the funky yellow floral fabric on one of my charity shop raids when I was visiting my nan up in Hertfordshire...a most pleasing find indeed! I've been wanting to use it for a while now. The floral fabric on the wings was a skip find (note..I have washed it!).

 and I've made a run of these lovely Congratulations cards. The fabric was (yet another) fab charity shop find. You can't beat a bit of floral 1970's fabric!

and finally, little Miss M wanted butterfly wings for her birthday. I went a bit crazy and chose the most detailed and long winded way of making them so unfortunately they were not ready for her birthday yesterday...oops! They are rather lovely though and I'm about 75% done now. Here is a sneak pic of them in the making...

Lots and lots of reverse applique and some hand sewing of beads and whatnot to do too.

Well I've got to run off and put two over tired kids to beddybyes so I can get on and do MORE sewing!

ooooh and I must mention a fab giveaway by the talented lady Tracey English over at her blog.
Here is a pic of one of her gorgeous cards...

The giveaway is for a pack of 5 cards from her etsy shop. See the blog for details. The winner will be picked on Friday 28th! Fingers crossed ay!

.hoot hoot

Dotty

xxx

something old something new...

I didn't make it to the carboot today, as its been raining and windy and YES I am having withdrawal symptoms (mainly grouchiness!). So I though I'd share a few of my favourite finds over the past yeat or two. One of my very favourites is this little book..

and i was given these brillinat 1970's Readers Digest gardening books last week by my nans lovely friend Bob. They really do cover everything you could want to know about gardening, he is the best gardener I know and I felt honoured that he handed them on to me!

and finally here's a little peek at my shelf of "old" goodies.

 

The gorgeous little handmade bird was made by a talented crafty friend, who got the pattern from The Artful Bird, a beautiful book by Abigail Glassenberg.  I made a similar little Blackbird using the same pattern, see him on this post.

Really must get on with boring stuff now...tidying, cookin blah blah..but my tip of the day....

don't forget about those "slow roasting" veggies in the Aga....I just made beetroot and tomato charcoal!!!

Joy Pockets

Some of this weeks little pockets of joy included laughing at J excitedly running up to a giant plastic ice cream and licking it..ewww 

finding these lovelies whilst charity shopping....

coincidentally and rather strangely...I'd seen a similar oil burner on the blog falling on a bruise the day before and commented on how lovely it was..then the next day I grab one in the local charity shop for a quid...yey!

realising that nothing at all was planned for saturday...freedom!

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reading Chocolat by Joanne Harris (and daydreaming about Johnny Depp!)

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the smell of sweetpeas in the garden

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 watching the most beautiful purple and pink sunset with a giant crescent moon alongside

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catching up with friends (Welcome home Carly!!)

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have a fun weekend! x