elfie & Me

poor housekeeping

This is a nice tidy cupboard isn't it?

But I have a medical condition, don't you know? I am domestically disabled. You'd have thought I'd have got a bit better at all this as I've had long enough to practice.

I love working from home but the house does suffer from my poor housekeeping. I hate dust, fluff and anything sticky (blee!) but I'm terribly untidy. So is Roland. He thinks it is perfectly acceptable to leave huge power tools on the dining room table. And our house is teeny tiny so if one room is being renovated it means a lot of stuff displaced.

Examples of poor house husbandry include:
Drawers full of bin liners that don't fit the kitchen bin (grrr rrr!)

A complete inability to understand curtain hooks and tracks (much scratching of head and fruitless trips to the shops)

Cupboards full of lightbulbs that don't fit any lights due to bayonet/screw confusion. Add to that a low energy bulb confusion which means sometimes I am trying to feel my way across a room that is so dimly lit that I then trip over one of the discarded powertools.

The house is spectacularly messy at the moment.
The bathroom floor is being laid (a whole year after the bathroom was started) so all the bathroom fittings are sitting in Alexei's bedroom and his new carpet will be fitted on Monday. We have dismantled his iron bedstead and he is sleeping on a mattress on the floor. It gives the impression of a rather squalid squat. Alexei likes it: "it's like camping, mum". I'll post pictures next week when we're a bit less topsy turvey.

Roland and I have been married for 10 years this month. I'm not sure what 10 years symbolises, probably something boring like . . .lightbulbs or bin liners.

10 years of happy married life.
You'd get less for murder.

P.S. Here's a close up of the pixie shelf edging. I've got some new printable canvas . . . It's fantastic to print on. A new obsession looms!

Lots of new pictures

I've been busy making these for all the children of friends and family who have been fobbed off for far too long with "not handmade" gifts. They have been received with much enthusiasm but if they hadn't, I would remind them that they should be thankful they haven't been on the receiving end of anything lovingly hand knitted by me or a free haircut as I lack talent in both these areas.

Although when I was at Art College, I managed to convince nearly all the guys on my course that I was, in fact, a qualified hairdresser.

(I had a Saturday job in a hairdressers)

I DID offer them a choice of styles: a flat top or a flick a la Duran Duran with bleached highlights (v popular at the time). Strangely, nobody ever complained even when their hair got shorter than intended when I tried to even out the lopsided bits. I suppose it was the 80's. The decade of bad hair-dos.

Anyway if you would like a personalised picture they are now for sale in the shop and are designed to your requirements. Here's another really large one which looks great printed on this wonderful artist's canvas.

I was very touched that so many people sent emails and messages concerning my brother in law, Alan. Thank you, it means so much to me.

Have a happy bloggy week!

To the end of the earth and back

I've been away again. Back to Dubai to be precise but not just to have a jolly old time with my sister. I had a more serious mission to complete: to help her pack up her life in the sun as my lovely, lovely brother in law, Alan has been diagonised with a brain disease. Not sure what it is as they can only tell you for sure once you're dead (what a cheery thought) but it seems to be early onset dementia -very early as he is only in his 50's and until recently was a high flying scientist. The worst aspect is that his language is becoming affected: he keeps forgetting words for things but luckily his gentle personality and sense of humour have not been affected. I refused to believe that there was anything wrong at first, claiming that he was in his usual absent-minded-professor mode which we all find so endearing (but maddening at times). In fact, he just seems himself but more so if that makes sense. Both of them are not happy to be back as Dubai is like some sort of bizarre fantasy land where real life is suspended and it is sunny all year round. I always go on a massive downer when I get home too which always surprises me as I am your original home bird. One good thing is it is only a quick whizz up the A2 to visit: they are now living in Greenwich which means an excuse for me to visit the fabulous Greenwich market on Sundays and pick up some vintage finds.

Now we are in the grip of the Easter holidays, I've been keeping Alexei and his friend Sam busy. I borrowed an idea from Julie for using up all those old crayons that have been hanging around for years.

The one at the bottom right looks like a delicious lemon tart.

Then totally unprompted, they got out the tin of foreign coins and did some rubbings. I was really surprised how much they enjoyed it as their perfect day usually involves running around in the woods, shouting a lot and waving sticks. (There's been a lot of this . . . thank goodness for the sunshine!)

P.S: In case you are wondering: Alexei is wearing his Cyberman outfit... quite embarressing in public really!

P.P.S: My sister was extremely rude about the appearance of the cake in the previous post. Nothing like family to tell you the truth.

Get thee to Ikea . . .

. . .and snap up one of their fabulous glass DOMED cake stands. Indispensable if you are afflicted with cats that sniff (and lick) cakes. The varmints always jump up if they catch a whiff of butter icing. Blee! This brings the number of cake stands in this house to five. Actually, I can justify this purchase totally as it has already done a good job of keeping Roland's birthday cake safe last weekend. His lemon cake turned out a bit blobby but tasted very nice.

Have a good Easter everyone and I hope the Easter bunny is good to you!

More moon stuff

Thank you everyone for all your comments about the moon pic on the last post. I like the fact everyone thought of Moon Face. Funnily enough, I always imagined him to look a bit like this. More of a crescent shape face although this is a rubbish drawing.

In fact, you have all re-kindled memories for me: of sitting listening Mrs White read the Faraway Tree, the smell of plasticine and splintery wooden chairs. The afternoon sun slanting through the jars of catkins and runner beans growing on blotting paper on the window sills. That sleepy feeling just before we put the chairs on the tables ready for home time. Why did we put the chairs on the tables at home time? Or was it just a peculiarity of my small village school?
I also remember sitting in the same classroom listening to the story of Bluebeard. Now who would on earth have ever thought that was a suitable story for 7 year olds?

I've also got a new passion: Lavender chocolate. . Sophie recommended this and Ooo, it's divine ,if you like perfumed foods . . . yum, yum, yum. The blueberry and lavender jam is also a recent discovery and is also a superfood so of course so it can be scoffed guilt free. If anybody has any more suggestions for flowery edible treats please share!!!

{Note: I've only just remembered to put this picture in of the jam and chocolate. . yes, I know, how absent minded . . .now you know what I'm on about!}

Actually I'm in a really foody mood right now . . we're having stewed pink rhubarb and custard for pudding tonight. . . . so pretty. I can't wait. If I carry on eating treats at this rate I am going to end up with a moon face myself!

Here's the latest addition to the Made in Pixieland website . . . notecards printed on recycled paper using vegetable based inks. I always imagine that the printers are squashing cabbages and carrots to get these lovely pigments but no, the truth is a bit more mundane: the inks are vegetable oil based rather than mineral oil. They cost £3.50 per pack of 8 which includes recycled envelopes in a lovely bluebell colour.

A new day, a new drawing. . . sort of!

This drawing is called "Elfin moonlight" and I have laboured over it for 5 long years. I just couldn't get the moon's face right. I tried and tried but the face would not come. I don't think I'm very good at drawing creepy faces, although I should be, as when I was a little girl I used to peek at the diagram of a skull in my sister's biology textbook in horrified fascination all the time. One day, about six months ago I was looking in the antique section of our local paper, when I spotted a very ugly Toby jug on the front page. A strange attraction crept over me and I kept turning back again and again to that page. This was the sort of intriguing face I wanted to capture but couldn't. It has just the right qualities of creepiness with a kind of friendly look about it. So here it is, I've borrowed it for my drawing. Is that OK do you think?

Homecoming

Yes, we're back. I won't bore you too much with the holiday snaps as there is nothing worse. Dubai was lovely, we had lots of fun with my sister, Anne and brother in law, Alan. One day we treated ourselves a slap-up tea at the Burj al Arab, that iconic building that you find yourself looking at all the time.

And the inside. In my opinion -rather vulgar.

To be fair, it is just-not-my-taste and whilst sampling delicious teeny tiny cakes, I explained to Roland how I could redecorate it in shabby chic style while he just rolled his eyes. Here I am looking a bit cheesed off (although I wasn't!) on a hideous red sofa. I think all that opulence just doesn't suit me. Just as well I suppose!

Another evening, we visited the new Raffles hotel for cocktails. This is more like it! Look at the beautiful foyer.

And when I thought there was no piece of Pixieland anywhere in the metropolis, I found this in a chocolate shop. Toadstools - they crop up when you're least expecting them.

Now we're back home, feeling the cold, the mist has been wrapping itself around the window panes, but someone is very pleased to see us. Poor Alexei, he looks rather squashed by Percy!

P.S Have been experimenting with the Night time function on my camera. Fun!

Excitement is building in Pixieland. We are all off to stay with my sis in sunny Dubai, land of dates and camels. Oh, and about a million skyscrapers. As usual, I haven't packed a thing yet and all the summer clothes are still squashed at the back of the cupboard. The nerves are kicking in too. I hate flying but I love airports . . so exciting . . .contrary moi?
Have a fun week!

Knitted Toadstool Keyrings

Aren't they cute? And before you ask, no they weren't knitted by me. You didn't really think so did you? I did sew on the name tapes and pearls which I really enjoyed sitting with my back to the stove on the little red chair while Alexei did his homework. "You look like an old lady Mummy"
Naturally, I took this as a compliment.
A lady called Jane made these for the Pixieland shop and if I lean out of the attic window and look over the allotments to the hill in the distance, I can see Jane's house on the hillside where she creates all sorts of wonderful things with wool.

Wishing you all a very belated Happy New Year

I have been like a very slow tortoise moving slowly into the New Year, complete with piece of lettuce dangling from mouth (New Years Resolution: eat more veg). Lots of projects on the go but not much finished yet. Christmas and the New Year seems such a long time ago. Look at my lovely new bag.

I'm loving it when people ask me if made it, I'm almost tempted to lie. . . I had admired it at the Country Living Show back in November and my sister sneaked back and bought it for my birthday despite the fact she thinks it is a bit "granny". You all know that I am a bit of an old lady at heart. When I am a proper old lady, I am going to style myself on Miss Marple and eat rose and violet cremes every day from a secret stash at the bottom of my handbag.

I've done a new version of "The Fairy Cat" with a different cat based on a sketch of Percy. I love Percy with his nose upturned. Anything new has to be throughly inspected and sniffed all over. That includes people. Especially the inside of ears.

I can't wait to show you my latest endevour. It involves knitting and is veeerrry cute! Wait and see!