Damp Dorset

I went away this week for a couple of days with my mate Deb to her holiday chalet in Dorset.  It rained, a lot. 
  

So what could we do to escape the downpours, except visit an abundance of chazza shops?? Disappointingly I didn't find anything that took my fancy, but just as I predicted, as we were about to head home the sun put in an appearance, so we raced to the sea front and out came the camera quick smart.


 I would have loved to be dressed in a fetching summer outfit, but to quote Vix it was bastard freezing (and you know me and the cold!) hence I'm all wrapped up in a cashmere scarf. 
 

The cat was pleased to see me on my return and welcomed me home in a very vocal way by chucking up the most putrid furball ever witnessed.  I dread to think how she'll top that when I go on a week's holiday next month!

Onto crafty matters now, I've been back in my craft room today and knocked up this card which I'm linking to the challenges below.

 

CAS-ology - Bloom
CAS-ual Fridays - Stamping on design paper
Addicted To CAS - Birthday

Stamps used were:
Solidago Sprig - Rubber Stampede
Bloom text - PaperArtsy set
Birthday sentiment by Personal Impressions

Who's watching Eurovision tonight then ??  Nah, me neither.
Remember this one from 1977 ?

 

Commemorative Corner

There hasn't been much going on at Muddle Towers lately, nothing noteworthy anyway and I haven't felt like blogging until today.
But Kylie has had the brilliant idea of creating a link so that we can all share our vintage nooks and crannies! ....Ooerr possums.

Here's my china cabinet which was a gift from my parents and stores my collection of royal commemorative china. I don't think it has any great age but it was the perfect size and has a slight deco design. I'm not really a royalist and I can't remember why I started collecting the china apart from Mum had a few bits which I liked and I thought it was something that depicted our British heritage, you could also pick up bits and pieces fairly reasonably.  I've never been one to be put off buying something just because it has a crack or a chip if I like it. I've gone off the collecting habit now and haven't bought anything new for years but still like to display the china in the corner of my sitting room.  

I've got other old bits and pieces knocking about such as these cameras.  The oldest one was my grandad's and the more modern one was my first serious camera which I bought in 1979.

I also collected old bottles for a while,  I don't display all of my collection but like a few around the place.  The green one was a gift from my brother and SIL and has a company name (the same as my surname) embossed on it.
The Welsh offertory box was bought years ago at a junk shop.

Pop on over to Kylie's and grab yourself some inspiration.   Don't forget, I showed you mine, so...... 

April Scavenger Hunt

I've found a new photo challenge, new to me anyway. I'm hoping I might get around to taking more pics as this one's not a snap a day, but several during the month.  Here's my entries for the 

April Scavenger Hunt

Pink

6

Your Town (or village in my case)

  

Sport

Night Light

Something You Collect

Big

Dinner

Texture

Curl

Take Off

Plastic

Is anyone else having a mare trying to upload photo's in Blogger?

Thanks for looking, go take a squizz at the other great entries.
xx 

I Know Better Now

Thanks for all the 'congrats' messages last week after my recent win at LIM, it certainly lifted the spirits as did your kind words. Onto this week's challenge which has sketch inspiration.

  
After one abortive attempt I came up with this which I'm also entering at Addicted To CAS where the theme is FLOWER 

Stamps used:

Poppy - Papermania

Text - Hero Arts

Sentiment- Kaisercraft

Apologies for the wishy-washy snaps which were taken outside this morning in the sun!   Going to make the most of it so I'm off to Dad's now to sort out his garden. I've nothing much to report this time as I've worked every day since my last visit so I'll give you something nice to look at instead.

xxx

  

Magpie Monday

The chazza's were quite fruitful this morning, I came home with this lot.

Linen Skirt £4.50 - Hospice chazza

Green Cardi £1 - Happy Clappy Church charity shop

Pink Cardi- £3.50 as above

Necklace £1 - Cancer Research chazza

I'm not sure if the crocheted cardi looks like something a granny would wear, although I am old enough to be a granny I don't wanna look like one! I tried it on and thought it looked OK but now I'm not so sure.  I also picked up these...pumps (is that what they are called these days ?? I'm fighting back the urge to call them plimsolls!)

At £4 they were a bargain from the Teen section of New Look.  I won't be wearing the laces tucked in as is the trend tho' for fear of looking like a saddo trying to get down with the kids.

Linking to Magpie Monday.

Boot Fair Bits and a Birthday Card

The bloody cat was prancing about on my bed at seven 'o clock this morning, after trying to ignore her for fifteen minutes and because I needed a wee I decided to give in and got up to feed her.  Never one to waste a bargain hunting opportunity, I decided as it was so early, to head off to a local boot fair.  It was fairly heaving when I got there shortly after eight thirty, no doubt due to the fine weather but I managed to get these bits. 

  Set of wooden drawers £2,  

 Mrs Henderson Presents DVD £1

 Set of The Times crossword/SuDoku puzzle books 50p

At last Spring seems to have sprung, and not before time either!  My daffs have finally bloomed, the trees are heavy with blossom  and the sun's been shining. 

I've been busy in the garden this weekend tackling the random turds found in the undergrowth that was the lawn, before mowing.  Lovely, thanks for sharing that.... I hear you say.   Don't mention it! 
I have had time though to whip up this card for LIM's current challenge which is to CASe one of the designs featured here.  I'm also linking to CAS-ual Friday where their current challenge is Birthday Bash.

I need a few blokey type cards for my stash and thought these colours were masculine enough. I followed Jen's design fairly closely and die cut a label for the stamped SU sentiment.  One of the pennant tails was embossed in a folder. Finally I added some wonky dots around the edge with a Sakura souffle pen! I won't tell if you don't. 
Gotta go now and watch last week's The Village before tonight's episode.

Have a great week and thanks for looking.
xx 

Parks

So, a couple of weeks ago Dad and I went up to London to see an exhibition of Norman Parkinson's work at the National Theatre.  We travelled up by train and on arriving at London Bridge station we alighted from our carriage only to look up to see this.

I'm afraid to say my only knowledge of The Shard was limited to how much it cost to go to the summit (£25!) and had no idea that it was situated at London Bridge.  Impressive as it is, we were not tempted to part with fifty quid and made our way on Shanks' pony to the National Theatre on The South Bank to view the exhibition where admittance was free.
 

Norman Parkinson's career spanned seven decades and during that time he enjoyed a long association with Vogue.  This together with his numerous assignments for Harpers Bazaar, Town and Country and other international glossies brought him worldwide recognition. I found it so difficult to limit the number of shots to post as so many of them are stunning in my opinion, but here are just a few of my favourites. 

 (Apologies for the quality, some were taken from the web and others photographed from a book as I don't have a scanner)

Post war New Look

 In the Forties Parkinson first photographed model Wenda Rogerson whom he later married.

He photographed many of the greatest icons as well as some of the

worlds most beautiful women.

Jerry  Hall 1975

 For me, his photographs just exude style, show his unique eye for glamour and beauty and have a timeless appeal.

 

You can see more of this great photographer and his work as tomorrow 21st April, on the centenary of his birth, Arena are presenting a profile of him on BBC4. 

 

The sun has finally decided to put in an appearance so I've got a date with a lawnmower now.  

Have a great weekend and thanks for looking in.

x