(Only Just) In Time For The Snow

I've been busy making myself a new coat for the winter. It was supposed to have been made about 3 years ago, but I kept putting it off, sure I'd make a mess of it. Well, at the end of last winter I donated my old coat to a worthy cause which kind of forced my hand to produce something. I wanted a cross between a great coat ( think male outerware in Tess of the D'Urbervilles and Wuthering Heights) and a woman's 1940s style coat, but couldn't find a suitable pattern so had to adapt what I had and make bits up. Here she is:

Complete with paisley lining

and handmade ceramic buttons from dotterypottery on Folksy. They were a bit lighter in colour than they looked on the website, but they look just fab and look at how they arrived complete with a little thankyou card:

I love buying handmade!

I had to finish it for today as it was my Grandmother's funeral and I didn't want to go wearing my camping coat. Nanny always wore high heels and a hat whenever she went out, so I couldn't turn up to see her off in any shabby old thing. I think she'd have been pleased.

When Even a Cup of Tea Won't Do

We've been struck down with a cold virus ( of course to the men in the family it's the 'flu). Luckily I've a cupboard full of homemade remedies which are easing us through our illness. I've discovered a fantastic liquid remedy quite by accident. On Saturday I had a stall at a new arts and craft fair which was to be quite a big deal and of course I was developing the lurgy and felt dreadful- even a good strong cup of tea held no appeal! So I filled my flask with boiling water, half a lemon sliced and a few cm of ginger root also sliced. Topped off with a generous slug of rosehip syrup, it infused throughout the setting up and initial flurry of excitement. Just before the doors opened, I poured myself a cup of the infusion to mask the menthol eucalyptus smell from my throat sweets and it was so soothing- the sweetest tasting medicine ever. Well, I've been adicted ever since- it got me through that day and all my jobs in the following days.
The fair was a reasonable success, this beauty sold before I had chance to list it on Folksy:

It was made by pouring molten silver into water. I absolutely loved it and didn't expect it to sell ( yes I was hoping to keep it for myself). But someone I know bought it, so at least I get to visit it occasionally.
 The artwork I'd finished didn't sell, but I wasn't surprised, this was in Hinckley after all- not exactly known for its appreciation of fine art. The linocut reduction worked well:

And the plain linocut looks good too. I can't decide which I prefer;

For now, I'm continuing to list stuff on Folksy and am toying with the idea of adding prints to my Folksy range. So many ideas, so little time (and energy; cough, cough)

These now available here