Chatiryworld

My Place and Yours: My Collection

This week's My Place and Yours theme is My Collection.  What do I collect?  Well, I'm not into collecting for the sake of having a collection, but I do like nice ceramics, so here's a little collection I've gathered over the years.  Most of them are Scottish, with the exception of the jug in the bottom-right, which we got from White Doll Arts in Fowey on honeymoon, and the vase on the bottom left which is by Karin Eriksson.  The bowl in between them is from St Andrews Pottery.  The bowl above Karin's vase is from Highland Stoneware and the blue vase to the right of it is by John O'Groats Pottery.  At the back, the dark blue striped vase is from Crail Pottery, the starry bowl is from South Lissens Pottery in Fife and the blue/white vase is from Bay Pottery on Skye.

I'd like to get some pieces from Tain and Anta potteries, any other recommendations? 

What flexitime was made for

I opened the front door on Monday morning, already running a bit late for my usual bus, and was confronted with this sight.  I decided capturing a few photos was worth missing the bus for, so scampered back inside to get my camera, breathlessy half explaining to Jon what I was doing and losing a glove on the way.  As well as this photo I got another two, and of course missed my bus (I later found it from a colleague it was early anyway).  But what's the point of flexitime if you can't use it for nice things like this?

Speaking of nice things, Yorkshire readers may be interested to know that there is a Rob Ryan exhibition at the Yorkshire Sculpture Park (apparently there's a Clothkits workshop going on too but it's sold out).

Whippet Grey

I'm sure I've blogged about Whippet Grey before, a company who sell Lovely Things.  Their website used to be like a pop-up book, it isn't any more , but still looks great.  There are loads of websites and catalogues out there selling Lovely Things, Pedlars, Handpicked and Not on the High Street (although an awful lot of their stuff is available on the high street nowadays) spring to mind. All places I love (apart from this tshirt which is just awful), but Whippet Grey seems to have the edge. 

Although there's several items I've seen elsewhere, like the ubiquitous Keep Calm and Bugger Off I'm Sick Of This Poster Carry On poster, most of their stock comprises of some really beautiful and unusual things.  This card tree of life would make a great present for an imaginative kid (or a 30-something knitting librarian).  I love this apple holder, if only we had a garden with an apple tree...  I'm also rather fond of the handcarved birds.

Whippet Grey may be on the pricey side but it's definitely quality over quantity here.  I'd much rather receive a small gift from a designer-maker than something big and mass-produced.  I don't mean that I wouldn't be grateful for the latter or that I don't like it, but I think people shouldn't worry so much about a small craft item looking like they've hardly spent anything. 

Finally, Whippet Grey recently went on a sourcing trip to Flanders, one of my favourite parts of the world.

Hugh in Country Living

One of my dads, Hugh, supplies online goodies shop Twice.  In this month's Country Living one of his chopping boards is featured in the Emporium section, unfortunately he's not credited but he is on the Twice website so that's a good thing.  I went to the Country Living Fair in Glasgow last year but as it was a Saturday and it opened late due to a power cut it was ridiculously busy and quite overwhelming.  I'm giving it a miss this year but might return next year - on a week day.

This is the bowl that Hugh made

with the yeast sponge that Jon made

that becomes our delicious bread.

Our wedding gift from my mum and Hugh was this amazing wooden bowl for Jon to make bread in, as he had read it was best to make bread in a wooden bowl.  Hugh has also made a lovely page on his blog with images of the bowl and our wedding.  We have great families.

Unecessary items

Barbara Trapido is one of my favourite authors.  I got The Travelling Hornplayer free with a magazine about ten years ago and read it on a trip to Orkney.  And loved it.  I don't know why I had never read any of her work before as my mum is also a big fan.  But that's beside the point here.

I collected up her other books, mainly through charity shops as I was a student at the time.  I don't own Frankie and Stankie because I just didn't enjoy it as much as the others.  Anyway, today I was reading the latest posts at Design*Sponge, and discovered that artist Alice Stevenson has illustrated the covers for the latest editions of Barbara Trapido's novels.  They're lovely and I want them.

But that's ridiculous and goes against my ideals of trying to spending less, especially on totally unecessary purchases.  I already own them and though they might be a bit battered they're battered because I love them.  When I see my copy of The Travelling Hornplayer I not only see a novel I love but it also reminds me of a great holiday.  I wouldn't get that with a new book, however attractive.

So I won't fritter away my money on them.  I might reread them though, especially since my sister Ellen quoted a passage to me at the wedding.  But those new editions are pretty aren't they?

Sew your own Chatiryworld

My Clothkits dolls pictured above are both over 25 years old, and looking a bit faded but new Clothkits is now selling the kits for Kitty and Polly, as well as Kitty's brother Kit.  You can also get their new range of cloth dolls as well, I've got the tea towel version.  I'll probably make it after the wedding when I can think about other things again.  Plus at some point I would love to make myself the Rob Ryan skirt.

Catching up

So last weekend was spent down at my mum's in Yorkshire.  I took the opportunity to have a little hen lunch with two of my sisters, two of my cousins and two of my friends at Browns in Leeds.  I was able to join in the cocktail fun with a mocktail, which pleased me, and we all ate delicious and filling food.  I had a vegetable tart and shared some chips with my sister Ellen.  We couldn't resist pudding and I went for chocolate ice cream that was served with a cookie.  I didn't finish it.  It was really lovely to sit back, relax, chat and eat some good food, so thank you for coming ladies.

On Sunday afternoon my mum drove Ellen, Martha and I to one of my favourite places, Saltaire.  I haven't been since I moved up here so it was great to get reacquainted with Salts Mill and see how much the shops in the main street had changed.  No more second hand bookshop, but plenty of vintage places.  We went to a craft and vintage fair at Victoria Hall, complete with cafe serving from pretty teasets (despite not drinking tea I do like a nice teaset).  The fair had some good stalls, and some not so good, and I was pleased to see that Hannah Nunn (whose lamp I blogged about a while back) had a stall, also selling tealight holders and vases by Karin Eriksson.  We had a little mooch in the shops in the mill before heading home.  If it hadn't been so cold I would have taken more photos of the village.  It's a planned industrial village in the same ilk as New Lanark, only less touristy (which is not to say that it isn't touristy, it just doesn't have the big attractions that New Lanark does). 

I had a great weekend but it was wonderful to see Jon again back in Edinburgh.  He'd spent the weekend in Brighton.

Sea change

Just going through my pile of magazines to see which ones I can live without (and give to Jon's mum and sister to read on the train).  One of them is the October 2008 edition of Coast, which has got to be one of the most self-indulgent magazines out there, but I like it.  There's a photo shoot that's themed around a lovely poem by Cromarty poet Jane Verburg, Sea Change.  You can read it over at Cromarty: Living by the sea.  I think it sums up living by the sea very well.

Fit Sheffield in your pocket

WeLiveHere have brought out these cool tilt-shift postcards of Sheffield.  Some of them may look ugly, but they are classic Sheff landmarks.  Some people would have you believe that Sheffield is a dump, don't listen to them, it's not.  There are some gorgeous buildings, loads of parks, great facilities and a fantastic community.