What a corker!

For a couple of years now I've been collecting corks.  Yes.  Corks.  I know.  I sound like some mad collector who collects mad things like bus tickets and car tax discs. 

When I mentioned to Mr J and P that there were people on this earth that collected car tax discs (it's called velology, btw), he became worryingly excited and  even (and this is very disturbing) suggested that one could string tax discs together to make festive bunting.  Facetious little bugger, no?  *raises eyes to heaven*.

Anyway, where was I?  Corks.  Well, for once, dear readers, there was some method to my madness.

I'd discovered this hideous pic in a skip some time ago but it really was the frame that I was after. 

I sprayed the frame black and got sticking my rather large collection of corks on the hideous pic and......

Wowsers Trousers!  I've only gone and  made a cork board.

215 corks were used in the making of this!

I alternated rows of wine corks with rows of cava corks
 split in half - just for the hell of it
and because we appear to drink a lot of cava 

And then, just because I was rather enjoying the gluing and sticking down (very therapeutic, I'll have you know), I stuck some of my vast collection of buttons onto drawing pin heads (loads of examples of these on th'internet):

I even raided Little Miss J and P's lego collection (again) and stuck a few of those on the pin heads.  Unfortunately, these were less successful and only one survived.  I'll have to do more.

I love it! 

Lovely, lovely corky shmorky boardy......

Well, that's enough creativity from me for a while.   I'm off on holiday next week.  To Berlin.  I cannot wait.  Yes, I'm going to miss the whole Diamond Jubilee hoo haa.  Not that I care a hoot because it's actually MY birthday.  Yeh, Queenie, MY great big fat 50th birthday.  So there!

Auf wiedersehen xxxxx


Linking with Lakota's Ta-dah Tuesday.

You Win Some, You Lose Some

Well, peeps, I know that the suspense has been killing you all.  The voting has now closed for which character should be my new profile pic (see previous post if you haven't a clue what I'm burbling on about) and the votes have been counted and verified...... and the winner, by a mile, is:

Noddy!

One of you cheeky bloggers (you know who you are) said that Noddy "has something of you in his face".  Just remember, peeps, that I described the Noddster as being rather "demented" and "grubby" looking.  Er, thanks....

Some of you expressed regret to see go the rather fine pic Little Miss J and P did of me.  Not to worry.  I'll still have that on my blog as My Picture.  Plus she's planning to do another one of me which will then, of course, be my new profile pic, but in the meantime Noddy's cheeky little face will be popping up everytime I make a comment on your blog.  Hoorah!

In other news... remember "Sockgate" as previously reported by moi here?  Well, I popped into the offending charity shop this week and the socks have gone!  Surely they've not been snapped up by hoards of people champing at the bit to buy £5 socks?   I wanted to ask the manager what had happened to them but she was busy talking to an old lady who was asking her why they were selling "one shoe" (yes, you read that correctly, "one shoe").  The manager said that people like to buy just the "one shoe" as a decoration and that she, herself, had one on her dressing table.  To be fair, the "shoe" in question was a very bejewelled sandal with the make "Butler and Wilson" on them.  I thought Butler and Wilson made very blingy jewellery but what do I know?   I tried to muscle in to see how much they were selling the one sandal for but it was in one of those locked glass cabinets (I kid you not) and the manager and the old lady, who was in a wheelchair, were in the way.   I then noticed a number of pairs of these sandals for sale at a mere £50.   Gulp!  Original price was £158.  I expect that's a bargain in some people's world.  (Oddly, I tried googling "Butler and Wilson sandals" just to show you what they looked like, but couldn't find any reference to them).

OK, enough of this nonsense.  Let's talk about serious stuff like my collection of wooden handled kitchen utensils which is coming on a treat.  Not only have I got a potato peeler, crinkle chip cutter, bread knife (donated by the lovely Elizabeth from MakingGoodUse) and a carving fork, but get a load of the new additions.

A cork screw (10p from the boot sale):

An egg whisk (50p from the boot sale):

Mr J and P has just spotted this pic on the computer screen and demanded to know what "that rusty old thing is doing on our bed".  Cheek!

Darling Emma from Sylvie's Garden sent me this piccy (on the left) which shows a wonderful way to display old wooden utensils. 


Excellent idea, no?


At the same boot sale, I was drawn to this salt and pepper set  for 50p (which I thought was reasonably good value until my friend brandished a Poole pottery coffee pot and creamer bought for 50p for the pair from the same stall holder - grrrrrr). 

The Gaydon melanine salt and pepper set is late 50s, early 60s.

Before I go, have a  look at my lovely red roses:

No, it wasn't a gift from from an admirer.  I found them, in their cellophane wrapping, in a SKIP!  They must have just recently been thrown in as they were absolutely fine for me to appropriate and take home.  Wonder what the story behind that was!

Skippity doo dah part 2 and a jumble

I've been skip raiding again! On my way back from my yoga class last night, I spotted this little beauty peeping out amidst a discarded pink bathroom suite.



Wanna see some more?



Yes, a hangity hang shelfy type thing. It's not half bad for free is it? It just needs a clean and a spray (oh yes...) with my trusty spray paint. Can't decide what colour to go for. I'm planning to put it in our bathroom which is all white with a white and dark blue checked floor. I was thinking bright red for a change. Alternatively, an aqua/turquoise. Your thoughts, dear readers, would be much appreciated.

Our weekend was very busy - spent entertaining our good friends from Norfolk (2 adults, 3 children and a dog) and an old friend from Oz and her daughter. Before they all descended on Saturday afternoon, we managed to get to a JUMBLE SALE!! Huzzah! Oh the excitement! Unfortunately, it wasn't the word's best jumble sale, but we got a few items nontheless. Little Miss J and P got even more Whizzer and Chips/Beano/Dandy/Cor etc etc annuals to add to her rather worringly large and ever-increasing collection.

The rather large and ever-increasing collection here:



There are more annuals on shelves below and loads stuffed in here:



They're taking over as you can see.

Mr J and P got 2 demijohns to add to his collection of demijohns. Don't worry everyone, I'll spare you pictures of his demijohn collection.

I got this natty 70s bag for 50p:



A jug which I doubt is very old but pretty for 20p:



A needlecraft book from 1970:



It has one chapter entitled "64 useful stitches". Yes, I said 64!!

"Aprons as gifts are always welcome." Yes indeedy. Take a look:



Can anyone tell me why you would want to make an apron with very sheer nylon fabric as per the one in the top right corner (the one that looks like an enormous pair of see-through knickers)?

Lovely groovy armchair cover here:



I'm puzzled as to why there is a bowl of red peppers on the table. Most odd!

Top buy this week was Stevie Wonder's Definitive Collection (CD) for 50p which I don't think was ever played (why ever not?) but I more than made up for it on Saturday night that's for sure...

Skippity doo dah

Hello one and all. Apologies in advance but I’m going to have a little moan. Here it is – brace yourselves.... There have been no jumbles for an absolute age nor have I bought anything from a charity shop for what seems like weeks and weeks. OK, there I’ve said it. Sorry, but it’s true. I know. I’m sulking. I can’t help it.

No wonder I’ve had to resort to eyeing up the local skips (dumpsters to you peeps from overseas). Yes folks, I’ve been skip raiding!! On my way to work this morning I passed by a skip and what caught my eye was a large picture frame which I thought, on closer inspection, would be the ideal frame for the cork board that I’m planning on making – once I’ve collected enough corks that is. Of course I couldn’t carry it to work with me but I sent Mr J and P out – oops I mean Mr J and P kindly volunteered - to swipe it this evening and here it is:



Ignore the picture which isn’t my cup of tea but look at the frame – it’s alright isn’t it? Admittedly, it’s a little er plastic but once I get my trusty can of spray paint to it, it will come up a treat.

I also managed to snaffle these 2 little oil paintings. I was drawn to the frames initially, but I’m now rather liking those paintings especially the Paris street scene.





All in all, I’m very pleased with my skip raiding activity - and at least I’ve stopped moaning.

Toodle pip everyone!.xx (Why am I talking like a mad eccentric? No, don’t answer that one).

P.S. I'll be posting my finds on Her Library Adventures and Apron Thrift Girl. Why don't you pop along and see what other bloggers have found in the past week.