Thursday 20 September 2012

Lately


I have been hanging out in St. Leonards-on-Sea and Hastings Old Town looking at the architecture, soaking up the atmosphere of the Coastal Currents visual arts festival artists open houses and marvelling at the creative coast we live on.




Artists are happy to chat while tea flows and purchases are made.



It's a lovely event that I look forward to each year. This year I got to pootle around on my own which gave me even more delight, sad, but I like my own company when it comes to events like this. I like to take my time, be absorbed into the moment and enjoy the sensory delights an art festival can bring.


One of my favourite things is to snoop look around the Artists studio's. I feel content in these curious spaces and could stare forever. The smell of turpentine and oil paints brings back such memories of my special friend Bronwen and her fine art studio's over the years. It's a happy memory for me.



Lately, I have found some beautiful charity shop finds for next to nothing. This hand sewn patchwork cushion cover and cushion had to be bought to make it's way to comforting my girly's bottom when she sits at her desk to do her rather large amount of high school homework :o) Alice likes it a lot and that pleases me no end. Plan B would have been a new cushion for my sewing space chair.



Lately, I've found myself snuggling up on the couch as the evenings get cooler and darker earlier and working on my long suffering granny stripe leftover yarn blanket. I worked out that if I try and do at least 4 rows a night it should be ready for when the real winter chills set in. Lets hope so anyway.



I was truly delighted when I found these mid-winter plates, 6 side plates and one serving plate in a charity shop for £2.50! Bargain I thought and also a perfect gift for a fellow South African blogger and thrifty vintage lover living right here in my English sea side town...have you ever visited the fabulous Wendy at her blog 15 Coast Road ? You simply must, she is a marvel at sewing handmade textile accessories and has an etsy shop here, oh and her sense of humour is fabulous.


We eventually met up for a coffee/cup of tea last Saturday and spent a good couple of hours nattering away (maybe me more than Wendy? I tend to talk at a rate of knots, so my husband tells me!). It was great to eventually meet after much conversation on each other's blogs over the past year or so. I was very excited to give Wendy the mid-winter plates because after seeing all her pretty crockery loving and purchases on her blog I knew these would be loved by her. Indeed she was pleased and it was a perfect reason to meet up.

Wendy was very naughty and out of her bag popped three of her stunning makes, two for me and one for Alice. How divine was that? Want to see?


Oh me oh my, I love love the vintage tea towel zippy pouch with those fabulously happy orange flowers. Alice was very pleased with her common blue butterfly pouch and promptly attached it to her school bag to house her coins she takes to school. The sweetest robin pouch for a digital camera is so beautiful Wendy, thank you so much for your immense generosity. We love your makes and celebrate your creative talent indeed.

So, you can see that lately, my life has been a spoilt one for which I am eternally grateful. 

What have you been up to lately?
Found any great charity shop bargains?
Met any fellow like minded bloggers?
Smelt some turpentine Been to any open artists studio's?
Spent an afternoon all to yourself?
Started any winter crochet?

Do tell xox 

12 comments:

  1. Lovely post Penelope! I'm loving your granny stripe, such gorgeous colours! And the patchwork cushion - what a fabulous find!
    Victoria xx

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  2. I brought some more Pyrex, after promising myself no more! Love the top picture and those plates are delightful! Ada :)

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  3. That first picture made me think of the Caribbean - stunning colours :)

    Your have been busy - love the CS finds both the cushion and the plates :) I've just blogged about my best latest find ;)

    Glad Alice is getting on ok at High School - they always give them loads of homework to start with and it should tail off a bit after 1/2 term.

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  4. Lots of lovely things! I like the two seascapes in third picture, they remind me a bit of an oil painting in our lounge. I have lost my painting mojo for quite a long time now, however I love to visit galleries, and it must be amazing to go into the studios.....really inspiring.

    Love the yarn on your needles....excited to see that.....my p&s pullover has been all I can think of....a couple of nights ago I realised to my annulment that my 'cleverness' in carefully measuring and adjusting the pattern was futile and I had to rip back a good few hours worth of knitting...aaaggghhh!

    How nice to finally meet Wendy and what lovely gifts you both exchanged...

    Keep at your stripe, just think how toasty it will be in the winter.....ends and slogging all forgotten!

    Have a great weekend!

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  5. I'm using the plates every day- love them to bits. Hubby likes them too, which is saying something - he's quite picky about vintage crockery. :)

    You know, I never saw those hours go by - it was so lovely chatting and getting to know you. Can you believe nearly a whole week has passed already? Wow - the days just fly past.

    I like that patchwork cushion cover- what a fabulous find! Lucky you - or Alice. I should say. :)

    Hope you have a good weekend. x

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  6. Lovely post, lovely picture! Love that front door.

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  7. I do love that area , and wish i had got done for the event. your pictures made me wish i had even more. I am another sad one who loves to potter and indulge on my own! xx

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  8. I love Hastings especially the old town and even though it seems like it's just around the corner from us it stupidly takes an age to get to....big sigh.

    Have a fabulous weekend

    Nina x

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  9. What a delightful post, Penny! (Whoops, I've just got one of my glass knitting beads stuck in the keyboard; ho hum!) I can feel your enthusiasm and, like many, completely understand your desire to spend time with like-minded artists. It's so comforting to read about my childhood neck of the woods here and to see so much cultural buzz going on there through your eyes.

    Stephanie

    ps Call me silly but I haven't sent your little gift off yet because I wasn't completely sure if I was over-enthusiastically pushing it onto you or not. :-) :-)

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  10. What a fun post ... and I love the word "pootle". (I like to pootle round by myself too.)

    I love the pics of the cups on the steps, and the bright turquoise door at the top of the post.

    Winter crochet? Sort of - I'm working on a hat but keep frogging it to get the colours just right.

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  11. I just think it's marvellous that my two favourite South African bloggers live in practically the same place. I've been a big fan of both your blogs for a good while. And having won the phone cover in Wendy's giveaway - which I am using every day - I know how lovely her makes and what a haul you have there. And the plates you found for her are fabulous :D

    I'm another happy lone pootler, though when it comes to arts events it's lovely to swop notes afterwards with friends who also visited the exhibition or whatever.

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  12. lovely place, lovely things..

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