Gifts & Toadstools

Please excuse the blog’n’run. I just wanted to show you Jane’s gift to me, from mixtogether while I have a ‘spare’ moment (not that it really is. Is it ever?) Anyhoo:

Jane sewed this lovely ‘portfolio’ for me – on the inside, there are journals left and right, and a spot for things to write with:

On the left side is this journal, a compendium of different bits and pieces (music stave, graph paper, vellum, recycled photocopy paper) bound together by Jane. I love this idea, it makes a wonderful eclectic little book. Great for doodling bits and ideas in:

And on the right (not actually pictured, because the camera battery ran flat just at that moment!) is a larger size Moleskine journal – my very first ever of the ‘legendary’ Moleskines. A nice big unlined Moleskine definitely demands something more classy than doodles or todo lists as long as one’s arm (which is what I have today)… I shall have to take up watercolour painting or something!

Also. While I am showing off gifties, I must apologise to Barbara, who sent me this wee little floss tag a little while ago as a Thank You for sending her a chart. Aren’t these just the cross-stitch ‘thing-of-the-moment’? I love it, and I am definitely going to have to make some more of these. Niamh snaffled it the moment it arrived, as you can see:

(This was an ‘experimental-bed-in-the-loungeroom’ day. Did I mention already I was not coping with the demise of the Afternoon Nap?)

Also, just very quickly (because this has turned into less of a drive-by blogging, and more of an essay!), a little snap of my toadstool pincushion from Brown Owls on Monday night. You might have seen them doing the blog rounds already, but here’s mine. Complete with ‘ten-minutes-left-to-go-what-shall-I-do-now’ ladybird addition (which is also out of focus, I am just now noticing. Pfft).

One of the things I love about Brown Owls is the spontaneity of the projects. Normally at home I will agonize over materials and details for way too long. But once a month or so on a Monday, there’s a whole lot less ‘how should it look’, and a whole lot more ‘let’s just have some fun’ (and some tea and some biscuits and some gossip chatter). Cool.