Typhoo Tin

I found this lovely old tin in the garage - Dad said I could keep it as he didn't even know he owned it! It's a bit battered and worn, but you can mostly still read the branding and the lid still fits on.

I decided to do a little ad hock drawing of it. I quite like it actually, so I might do an embroidery.

What I didn't realise is that Typhoo is a Birmingham brand, and that it was initially used medicinally. The Typhoo website says:

'Typhoo Tea Limited has a long and rich heritage, stretching back to 1903 when Birmingham grocer John Sumner developed and sold a blend of tea in his shop. John’s sister, Mary, was the inspiration behind the product development, as she highly regarded tea as a cure for indigestion.'

Salt dough decorations

A couple of weeks ago I made lots of salt dough decorations for christmas using cutters I found/bought/borrowed from various sources. I shaped them and dried them in the oven. I got over excited and ruined a few by drying [*cooking] them on too high a heat which made them bubble up a bit!

They didn't dry in time for me to decorate on the day so I left them overnight to dry fully, and then managed to forget about them completely until today.

So today I've decorated them, varnished them and suspended them off ribbon and they are now adorning the house in a very festive fashion.

Here they are before going in the oven. I had made decorative marks in them using a chopstick and made sure there were enough holes in them to enable me to suspend them when they were dry.

Here they are dried and glitter-glued.

Varnished, strung and festive-ly adorning a door knob.

Heres some reindeers, trees, stars and dinosaurs, varnished, glittered and drying.

And here they are sparkling on the tree!

Christmas Knitting.

I've finally begun knitting for Christmas. [ A little bit late really but it's still only November!]

I've knitted 3 hats so far, but I've decided that I like this one so much I've got to keep it for myself. Although the photo doesn't show it, the yarn is a rich bottle green and the bow is the same colour velvet, topped with a lovely little gold button I found.

Although the colour is slightly reminiscent of my old school uniform, I completely love it!

.....Now i've kept this hat I've got one more to add to the list of things to knit.

Cadbury's embroidery.

I dropped my work off at 'The Framers' in the Custard Factory on friday and was given this lovely Papergirl Birmingham paper crane in return. Here he is!

Here's a couple of close-ups of the Cadbury's embroidery. I'm really pleased with this one. I should really motivate myself to do lots more, especially on my days off work!!

Submission for Papergirl Birmingham

Tonight I finally finished the embroidery I've been working on for Papergirl Birmingham.

I've scanned it in on the A3 scanner and printed a few copies for distribution to the lovely people of Birmingham in the new year. All the dates and venues for the exhibition are yet to be announced, but I'll keep you updated!

Head and Nerve Powder.

I've just remembered that I didn't ever get around to writing a blog about the embroidery piece I did for the August/September window display of 'Fabric Magic'. - I finished it the night before set-up!

As a part of the Trowbridge August Festival I was invited to produce a piece of work based on the historical town of Trowbridge and allowed to curate my work within the space. I collected a couple of old pharmaceutical bottles and tins and curated a window based on the old Aplin's Chemist that once stood nearby. [ On Fore Street]

My camera chose the trip to Trowbridge to die so unfortunately I don't have any images of the window itself.

The embroideries are based on old prescriptions, labels and packaging that I found in the museum mounted on a piece of needle-punch embroidery made up of found cottons and linens.

Knitting, Vintage and Gin.

Our stall

My knitting and head-wears.

Some 'Bellows' treasures.

Here's my face by our stall.

On Tuesday evening I met my lovely friend Leah of Bellows Vintage and we shared a stall at the Angel Bar [ 125 Hurst Street, Birmingham] for their monthly vintage fair, 'Vintage night at the Angel Bar'.

It was buzzing with vintage sellers, creative jewellery recyclers and the occasional stall of handmade items. I showed my knitting alongside Bellows' beautiful vintage and found treasures.