Antique Tiles & follow up...

Every since moving to the UK I have found old Victorian titles fascinating.
I thought they could be a good source of inspiration for my work, so last night I did a little research and came across Solar Antique Tiles a shop in New York and Florida. They specialises in antique and reproduction tiles, and they have the most beautiful tiles! Too many to show here but here are some of my favourites...



Victorian Tiles from the 19th Century


Portuguese Tiles from the 17th Century


Dutch Tiles from the 19th Century


On another note, I got working on a new cushion last night after my post about photographer Anitta Behrendt... love life...



Available in my Etsy shop :)

(images linked to their source)

Inspirations...

Okay, you will probably have seen this over at decor8 already, but I loved it so much I had to post it here.
This is one of many great interior shots by photographer Anitta Behrendt.

I love the fresh and chilled look of this room.

(image: Anitta Behrendt)

Chirpy chick cushion

Chirpy chick cushion, originally uploaded by Three Red Apples.

Now is the time of year when I really start looking forward to spring.

I was tossing and turning trying to get to sleep when a little idea entered my mind...
hurray to sleepy brainstorms! :)
Me thinks this little cushion may be the turning point in defining my style... (finally!)

Available in my Etsy shop.

1970s sewing book

This little gem was one of my dad's finds. It's a french 1976 sewing book "Coudre pour sa maison".
I've got the attention span of a pea when it comes to reading instructions of any kind, so I can't say it's a good read, but I love the patterned cover and the 1970s kitsch photos.
Isn't the second image glorious!?

On the subject of tree houses...

This caught my eye... (and it's a good excuse for old b&w photos :)

Amazingly, this 4000 years old tree is still alive and kicking. Now this would make the most amazing back garden tree or what!

(images are linked to their source)

Straight out of a Victorian Mad Max

How cool is this!!!

The Neverwas Haul

The Neverwas Haul crew have an etsy shop, where in their own words "proceeds [...] go towards our further endeavors."

(images: linked to their source)

Tree tops life

These put my childhood tree houses attempts to shame ;)

There's something about living in a tree house that sooo appeals to me, in the really childish kind of way.

(images: top, rest)

Baileys

I'm in withdrawal... hic...
Just messing, not the liqueur, the shop!

Baileys is one of my favourite shops. I haven't been there for a while now, too long, so had to share a few photos with you...













My kind of heaven.

(all images: Baileys)

Going hexagonal

Loving hexagon patchwork at the moment, so much so that I'm working on a few cushions and maybe a few other homely things...
I love the history behind it too, the 'mend and make-do' attitude. My dad has been a beekeeper for as long as I can remember, so the honeycomb shape is close to my heart for that reason too.

7 things you didn't know about me...

The lovely Michaela of Where has the wind taken you has nominated little o' me for the Kreative Blogger Award. Chuffed! Thanks!

I have to write 7 things about me and nominate 7 other bloggers.

Initially I thought I would just write some light hearted stuff, like my favourite colour is... , actually that would be a hard one since I don't have one, but you get my drift.

However, Michaela's was so insightful and frank, and I enjoyed reading her post so much, that I thought I ought to be a little less superficial than initially thought.

So here it goes... without getting too deep...

1. I am impatient and a perfectionist, now I don't know how these two work together! They kinda contradict each other... (hopefully that makes me efficient! ha) All I know is if I'm doing a messy job, I am too impatient to go and change into some work clothes, but the end result has to be spotless.

2. I was (and still am in many ways) a tomboy. I spent my childhood climbing trees and building tree houses, playing with my cousins (boys), running through fields, making things... I always found it *much* easier to make friends with boys than girls. In the past decade, I have become a bit more feminine, and find female company a great comfort - but I still like a night out with the boys!



3. Probably because I was a typical tomboy, I've always loved sports and the outdoors. Even now, as I have entered my thirties, I still love going rock climbing, potholing, diving, walking, mountaineering, snowboarding... you know, adventures, challenges... My partner and I met over 10 years ago through these, it's a big part of our lives (even though finding the time seems to get trickier by the year).



4. I love the British sense of humor, I love sarcasm. You have to be thick skinned to take it...

5. I have a very bad memory. It's handy for the bad stuff, but it can be embarrassing, borderline unromantic at times! eek

6. I am not a religious person. I won't expand on this too much, dodgy grounds, but I do value open-mindedness and tolerance.



7. I love my dog Jack, and my soul mate Ade. They are more important to me than they will ever know.



Phew, I got there in the end, Hope you're still with me!

I'd like to pass this award on to the following lovely bloggers:

- Au Coeur d'Artycho
- Dottie Angel
- Enhabiten
- La Pomme
- Lindsay Road
- Made by Petchy
- Pennycones
- Tree Fall

Vintage Singer desk lamp

My new Singer desk lamp, the best present from my sis! It was made in the 1920's or 1930's, not sure yet. Beautiful, isn't it?! Love the wheel base, and the switch makes a great sound when you turn it. I'm in love!

It is soon to be united with a beautiful 1920's Singer sewing machine, also a present from my sis - I'm so spoilt! I have to go back to France to get it, it weighs over 20kg!!

First day of the year

A beautiful day on Dartmoor, the day after the night before. One way of clearing our fuzzy heads!

I love this wild land, maybe it's in my Celtic blood! This crazy man once told me I come from an important Celtic clan, hmm... * imagining myself in Highlander * ha!
My sister took me to see this man, a healer or modern day druid I guess. It wasn't a first for me since my parents took me to see similar people as a child. The session mainly consists of the healer placing, sometimes just hovering, their hands over you. I've never believed in it, but always found it relaxing, a little like a rural version of a spa session I guess!
This time there was some added weirdness. Remember the big guy in the Green Mile with Tom Hanks? Well, there was a bit of that too, inhaling in the bad and exhaling it. Very strange to say the least...
I had stopped listening by the time he told me about my previous life, wondering what he meant about there being a lot of anger in me. Must have been for my previous employer!



We spent new year's eve in a pub on Dartmoor. Left the warmth of the pub just after midnight for a little walk up to the nearest Tor. Apparently there was a lunar eclipse that night, shame we missed it. Such a clear night with a full moon, amazing! And amazingly cold! Our 'beer jackets' (and various other drinks) kept us fairly warm, but our stone cold sober dog Jack, however, once he'd stopped running, was looking quite miserable. Time to go!

After a cold night, me and the dog in the camper with no heating (eek!), my other half and friend camping in a tent at the Tor (even more eek!), and the more sensible ones in a nearby house woke up to this beautiful crisp day. We decided to go for a half decent walk, then some lovely food at our friends' house: home grown roasted veg with a Persian leg of lamb. Miam! Very very delicious!