I LOVE Mabel LUCY Attwell

My DH bought a little vintage MLA tin for me, for our Anniversary - 10 years traditionally being tin. Here it is with my (so proud) 1st edition MLA Annual. I love MLA so much, I think from the moment I saw her Peter Pan illustrations as a child she had me hooked, they are so gentle, thoughtful, magical and curious - it's no wonder JM Barrie requested her personally for the giftbook edition of his wonderful story.

I thought this little poem about knitting suited some of us long suffering knitters......

I'm thinking of blowing this up and making a poster - another Marble Rose product! (have you noticed the shop link yet?) (eek) TTFN xxxxxx

Thank you.

For all your advice, support, wonderful feedback and encouragement. I have decided to begin with a Blogshop, so shall keep you posted. You really made it worth while. TTFN xxxx

LADIES & LADIES - INTRODUCING......THE MARBLE ROSE COLLECTION.......

So this is what I have been busying myself with, to keep me sane 'between jobs'. Pencil Cases! Pencil Cases! Pencil Cases! I showed them to one person and straight away she ordered 11 personalised ones, hence the names! The names were the most fiddly bit actually. What do you think? I thought I would start with smaller items before moving onto larger Nursery fixtures and fittings, like chairs, storage boxes, shelves, or even cots!!! What do you think? And any suggestions on where I could sell them (IF AT ALL!)? Can you recommend Etsy? In fact any help & advice you can spare would be appreciated.

What about these then ? I am experimenting with these wooden PIXIE HEARTS, so that they can also be personalised maybe? Stay tuned for more......

I love the Pixie Design and want to do loads with it, but I had to try this too....... Maybe sell them on St. Patrick's Day??? And they should be gold coins around the edge, rather than plain yellow shouldn't they?

So now you know - surprise!!!! I SO hope you like them, your opinions really matter to me!!! I'm already holding my breath! TTFN xxxxxx

The Cat's Whiskers!

Isn't she way too cute?

Wow, if somebody had told me when I was 18 that I would even have this in my house, never mind give it pride of place I would have thrown my All About Eve album straight at it. A recent purchase from a charity shop for £6 which is way more than I usually pay for anything, but she just looked so lonely and pretty. Also I have noticed a rather alarming upturn in cat ornaments in our local CShops. I fear some old lady cat lover has passed on - sad - unless you collect cat ornaments I suppose. TTFN xxxx

I'm off to Floss's Bash

I'm late!!!! Got my glad rags on.... Got my card for Floss.....Got some pretty ..... Intending to have lots of this.... Happy Birthday Floss! TTFN xxxx

My Ladybird Picture Puzzle

I love vintage Ladybird Books and if I find one at a carboot or CS it makes my day a weency bit special. My favourite is the 606D Fairytale books, but since I completed that collection I have turned to other ranges to become obsessed with. This is the 401 range, the Animal Rhymes collection dating back from the 1940s. So..... I was out one summer morning carbooting and came across this rather large picture. Immediately I recognised some of my favourite characters, the Green Umbrella rabbit being the most obvious and couldn't understand why nobody else had snapped it up? So after a bit of wrangling I paid the princely sum of £5 and tried to contain my excitement as I trekked back to the car.It is very well framed and for the life of me I can't tell whether this is a print or an original? HOWEVER - the artist's signature is Margaret Tarrent and as far as I know she didn't illustrate these books, it was mainly A J MacGregor. So what gives? Either this is a fake, but why bother signing it with her name? Is it an original print with a fake signature? Or is it a Margaret Tarrent tribute to AJ MacGregor? It's a mystery and I can't get to the bottom of it! Regardless, it's a beautiful picture for the playroom and whoever painted it, it makes me smile. Finally I really want to thank Beki at The Ramblings of an Everyday Mummy and Mandy at Live Laugh & Love for the Awards they have given to me - thank you friends, how lovely you are. If you haven't yet been to their blogs you must you must!!!!! And etiquette dictates I now pass this to 6 deserved blogs - which they all are of course - but these are a few that inspired me to blog and encourage me to keep blogging.

• Bobo Bun
• County Bliss
• Country Cottage Chic
• Florence & Mary
• Sal's Snippets
• Troc, Broc & Recup - who has a garden party this weekend if you'd like to go over and have a look?

TTFNxxx

Easy as.....

NOTICE TO ALL!!! You can buy these cards at the lovely Green Paper - gosh I feel such a fraud!!! xxxx

Absolutely....... Beautiful.... Cards...... I have an idea developing about what I am going to do with these, aren't they lovely? I shall keep you posted!I am starting to wish I had created more of these nursery projects when the children were younger because they are growing up quickly and I am running out of excuses to make them - But back then if I managed to change a nappy and breast feed in public without taking some body's eye out, it was an achievement - so I'm making up for lost time and going into craft craziness now! The above card is for you guys - a big PRIZE X - Mwah! TTFN xxxxx

Tea for....Twenty Seven, I believe?

Firstly, a big Thank You to all of those wonderful 26 who have been following this Blog, it really makes it feel worth while and very special! I don't like to gush, but all this means a great deal to me right now. Alright, I'm holding my hands really high, I admit it, I have a tea-set addiction, there I said it. But this one is special (do I sound like a teenager introducing their latest love interest?) It is perfect though isn't it? Actually it is, there isn't one little chip. The maker's mark is a sideways diamond shape with the letters TOA in it - and it is really petite and delicate. All for a whooping £2.00 at CS, contented sigh, life is good. I am very, very determined to use this, but I think it averages out at eight of these tea cups to one of my normal clunky mugs. If anyone knows anything on this design or maker, I would love to know more please, over a cuppa perhaps? TTFN xxxxx

Is it nearly Easter yet?

Because I was in TK MAX (J in USA?) (is he on the run or something?) when I found a shelf of old Easter stock - MASSIVELY reduced in price. Above are two statues that look foil wrapped, all glistening and gorgeously colourful Below is a wooden ornament, an Egg Car with Happy Easter on the front, then there is the glitter egg garland. So there was no way I could leave these goodies behind - could I? If you enlarge the top picture you might actually see the real Easter Bunny, I'm quite obviously confusing him. TTFN xxxxx

Aprons or Pinnies?

Whatever they are called I love them. They were stuffed under a pile of scarves at a CS for 50p each and are so utterly cute. I thought they were handmade, but they have really old shop labels in them - so proper vintage! Eldest flower and middle flower are our models for today. TTFN xxx

Pussy Cat? Pussy Cat ? What did you there?

So my String Holder Pussy Cat thing (what are these called???? ) was very happy, thank you very much, biding her time, waiting for me to maybe one day get around to actually putting some string in her - when this appeared! And he doesn't look very happy does he! Kitty tried to make friends, but Puppy just stared meanly back.But he better get used to it, because they are going to have to share that shelf for a very, very long time. TTFN xxxxxx