The kindliness of friends....

You might remember how I made a purse printed made from a vintage envelope for a friend's mother for Mother's Day (see here if desparado: http://thecustards.blogspot.co.uk/2012/03/dropping-in.html.  The envelope had been written to her father to her mother (sounds a little more complicated than it is!).   I had  made this as a gift but in the words of that old song:
 'Love is something if you give it away,
You end up having more.
 It's just like a magic penny, hold it tight and you won't have any.
Lend it, spend it, and you'll have so many
They'll roll all over the floor'

A few weeks later our friends came round for tea and gave me an unexpected present - I was utterly speechless and then burst into tears.  Well you would have too!

I had to look for a while at the cover of this book as I could not fathom it out! What was my name doing there - there must be another me somewhere in the world doing exactly the same thing!

All my favourite pictures under the cover of my very own book.

There's my wallpaper preserved for posterity.

The embroidered bag top left is one of my everyday shopping bags - I  should not use it so often but it is a favourite of mine.

The best things are when they are least expected don't you think. Thank you to the Robinson family and well done to Martin for thinking laterally as to how to circumnavigate his way round my 'no copying my photos' request (very clever Martin).

This has made up for something that happened recently (oh not something else Jenny - give it a rest please do.  For crying out loud LET IT GO!) that I thought was possibly going to be a great thing for me,  would have given me that shameful self-centered ego boost  and be a bit  more positive about the things that I make. Rather stupidly in the Homes and Antiques article I never even mentioned that I make anything - that would never have happened if I had been a business person (thank you Polka Dot House once again).  Anyway an  interview had been carried out  for another  well known High Street magazine (the one that always has a lovely cover - yes that one). They had been 'inspired' by my entry (ooooeerr missus) and we chatted for a long time.


I was a finalist in their National Awards!! Me!! Yes, me!! 


Photographer booked (I was actually going to have my hair cut for it - I had retained that stylish grey streak for the H&a article but this time I would go for a whole new look!!). I had a chat with the photographer and he told me that he was sworn to secrecy but it was going to be very exciting news for me.....................edge of your seat drama readers


 A week or so after the interview I had a telephone call - they had read the article in H&A - lovely though it was -  my entry would have to be withdrawn -   all rescinded because of fear of copying a rival magazine.  Their readers would not be pleased if they thought they had copied H&A - even though I had not mentioned making 'stuff' in that article.....pause for reflection....


I meekly asked if I had broken any rules/regulations. No came the reply - we just don't think that our readers would like to read about you if you have been in one magazine already...but, but I said....this was about making 'stuff'.....oh stuff it.


  Life is like that sometimes - smacks you in the face like a wet kipper when you least expect it....fully realise that worse things happen in life...would have been very nice though.  Left me feeling full of self doubt all over again...how I wish I could have that brimming self confidence that some possess.  Shop closed before I had had time to turn the 'We are open' sign over..


Now I am going to draw a big line here:
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------..(ignore that the line is broken - there isn't some hidden symbolism!)


We have crossed that line and we will talk no more of Pintergate and now C.L.Gate!  


I am moving forward - '..for Harry, England (other UK nations welcomed) and St George' (please say this out loud in a Laurence Olivier voice).


Cheers me dear
PS As  Kirstie Allsopp and Emma Bridgewater were judges - I was hoping for my own TV programme by the end of the year.........