bye bye summer

Well ladies and gents, it's the end of the summer, and that means making jam! I love this time of year, all the fruits on the trees and the hedgerows filling up. I've been making greengage jam, from the tried-and-tested, sugar-stained recipe from my grandmother's copy of the Glasgow Cookery Book. Do you have any rituals for the end of summer?

There are some new thingies available now in my All Things Original shop, including but not limited to this pheasant feather necklace and ENORMOUS tassel necklaces. Tell me true: would you wear one? They're so much fun! Anyhoo, if you are in the UK and have not yet had a look around ATO, do; there's loads of great stuff.

New in the shop - little sailing ship sketchbooks. I'd forgotten how much I love binding books! This is a very very simple but effective method, the pamphlet stitch, I might post a tutorial one day if anyone's interested?

And, the perfect thing to carry around your sketchbook in - this beautiful vintage frame purse.

While tidying up last week I came across this forgotten sketchbook full of old Polaroids. I think those above were taken in Lowestoft in my first year of university. Nice to find old stuff you'd forgotten!

What to Wear in The Autumn

Orangey leather, of course! This bunting necklace and these vintage woven leather shoes, preferably...

This week it was my lovely boy's birthday, and I wanted to show off about the cake I made which was covered in chocolate and mini mini marshmallows. I also made him a feathered headdress, which was fun, and muchos stitching practice! Hope your weekends were lovely, dear readers.

Day Off

'So, what did you get up to today?'
'Oh, you know, this and that...'

I recently got my little hands on a lot of vintage military bits and bobs, and so these new things will soon be arriving shopways. I just find the colours of the worn old brass and imagery of crests and suchlike so beautiful, although I would question wearing anything overtly military that in any way glorifies war. Interesting dichotomy there, methinks.

Let's go for a walk...

These are some walls what I saw.

Oi! The Weather! Summer is not over yet! It's only mid-august, I'm determined to get one more beach trip, barbecue and picnic in the park in before it's officially The Autumn. So sort it out! Sunshine please!

A beautiful copy of the new issue of Oh Comely magazine dropped through my letterbox the other day. It's full of funny little features, beautiful photos and a particularly lovely fashion editorial which you can glimpse a peek of above. There's also a wee picture of some of my necklaces in there. You can get your hands on a copy here or, I believe, in WH Smith, for just £4. Bargain!

A very successful impromptu charity shop session today. I couldn't resist this coin purse, which brought memories of school dinners and cutting Barbie's hair off rushing back. Did anyone else have these when they were a kid?

A great 80's dress from Liberty complete with shoulder pads

And also, this tiny child's umbrella which I had to grab as the moment I stepped outside the house the previously sunny skies clouded over and the thunder began to rumble. It's so small it just covered my shoulders, which garnered a few funny looks as me and my shopping ran home!

Pottering around inside on a rainy day.

I should perhaps have entitled this post 'What My Eyes Looked At Today', or 'On not going outside or talking to anyone all day, thus going a bit mental and eating just mashed potato for dinner'...

Please can someone give me $6500 so I can get this amazing box cart by Joel Voisard in my life? Just look at it! It's from The Future Perfect which has a really nice, well-put-together website and loads of amazing things such as these 'pinky wings' rings by Emily Rothschild, below.

More new thingies soon in the shop, oh yes!

Also, see if you can spot my hare silhouette brooch in the new issue of
Babiekins Magazine...

My friend Carly showed me these a few days ago and I knew I had to show you them, but they've been all over the internet since so you probably seen them already! Dalton Ghetti spends up to two and a half years on each of these microscopic graphite sculptures. They are just incredible, and such a lesson in patience! Found here.

Oh, go on then!

A few more. These were all taken in Cromer last month. A perfect day!

These are using the 35mm changeable back, with it set so the little holes (technical name?) are exposed as you can see. I've got loads of attachments and settings still to try out, hours of fun still to be had!

Lomove

Finally got some prints done of film I took with my Diana. Most are rubbish but I really like these two!

What's that you say? New stuff in the shop?

That's right! All these puppies and more coming up this week...