the birds and the skis

Our back bedroom has been like an aviary lately. I have been making lots of birds for Jenny's shop:

http://jenny-handmadehappiness.blogspot.co.uk/

... and also for a Christmas fair at Langrish House Hotel this Sunday. Jenny and I will be sharing a table with lots of beautiful things made by Handmade Happiness makers, and by Jenny and me. Hoping for a fun afternoon, must remember to bring the mince pies to keep us going!

Love a bit of glitter!

This is one of Jenny's wonderful big birds which you can see if you're passing her window

Mr P. will be off on his annual short skiing trip, so I can spend the whole weekend amongst my piles of unfinished projects!

We were at the big antiques market at the Bath and West Showground last weekend and were amused to see these old skis for sale- blimey, skiing is dangerous enough with modern equipment but can you imagine being up the Alps strapped to these? 

I'm not sure if the stall-holder had just replaced the poles with bits of old bamboo, or if that was the state of the art material circa 1900?

We also admired this beautiful silk log cabin quilt- exquisitely handmade and each square only about two inches across. Some of the pieces of silk looked as though they had come from the old fashioned embroidered valentine's cards that were popular during the first world war, and the owner said she thought it was made in the 1920's. I was very tempted to buy it (although rather expensive), but hesitated to take responsibility for such a fragile piece of history. It would be a shame for it to end up folded in a cupboard, and it would really be better off in a museum. I was happy to be allowed to take a photo though.

Come and say hallo if you are nearby on Sunday!

autumn trees at Mottisfont

Recently we made use of a brief window in the dreadful weather to visit Mottisfont Abbey, where we found superb autumn colours, and the largest plane trees in England, shedding golden pools of leaves. We went to see an exhibition of contemporary paintings of trees, as well as the permanent art collection.

Also this sculpture made from a circle of living trees, and an inner circle of upside down trees embellished with gold leaf. 

These look as though they should be part of some druid ritual, beautiful and mysterious.

In another corner of the garden is this mosaic by Boris Anrep, who was the lover of Maud Russell who owned Mottisfont in the forties. She has Maud's face above the glowing robes.

Opposite the angel, in a little niche, is this dainty tree.

We have visited Mottisfont lots of times, but never noticed this hidden mosaic. Lovely to find such unexpected vibrant colours on a grey day.

We all need an injection of beauty, especially at the low point of the year. 

pure gold

• Miserable weather
• Doing the grocery shopping
• Grumpy people
• Cat peeing on the sofa (yesterday- yuk!)
• Listening to Mr P banging on about motorbikes
• Cycling uphill
• Men with huge beards
• Beige cardigans (no actually, never anything beige)

All these things are bearable when wearing GOLD shoes.

I can't tell you how happy these make me.