A proper Halloween morning

It was yet another early morning in the clouds, but I could see the sun through the hazy air while I was out walking the dogs first thing. It felt like a proper Halloween morning. The filtered sunlight gave everything a scary dull orange glow and there were many crows about. The silence was quite eerie. I took these photos on my phone and thought that just for today, I would use one of them to change the header photo to a Halloweeny one :-) -

This last photo is the one I used for today's header. I had tons of fun messing around with it on Picmonkey!

Have fun! Toodlepip xxx

Simply Neutrals Tuesday - Surprises

I love getting surprises from friends, who doesn't? And on Sunday, when we got back to France, I got two beautiful surprises from two wonderful friends.

I checked the mail box after we had unloaded the car, and was so surprised to find a letter from my darling Suzy. Had to open it straight away of course, and this is what I found  inside -

Wrapped in that very pretty napkin were these -

two locks of the softest, silkiest hair you have ever touched, from Suzy's goats,

and some of the gorgeous rose trims she uses so beautifully in her collages -

Now I wish I was in England in my craftroom, lol, so I could use these beauties. But then I look out of the window or door here at the cottage, and I just wish I had brought my craftacase with me :-).

After we had unpacked and settled in, we drove down to visit our friend Frank and Christine, and thats when I received my second surprise. Christine knows me so well and she had found something so beautiful for me -

She didn't realise it when she bought it , but it turned out she bought a really beautiful Edwardian wedding veil!

and she gifted me with it!

Two thoughtful and beautiful gifts from very dear friends, I just had to share them with you for Wen's much loved Simply Neutrals Tuesday party.

Have a great weekend, wherever you are, toodlepip xxx

Back in France

Bourgogne in the autumn is so beautiful. The gentle hills, covered in fields and deciduous forests and speckled with farms, blaze with rich colours in the sunshine. We picked a great time to be at the cottage for a couple of weeks, any earlier and the colours wouldn't have developed yet, any later and the leaves would have fallen. The mornings are awesome, some are almost spooky and perfect Halloween settings, like the other morning, when we were in the clouds again - 

( taken on a walk with the doggies, near our cottage )

But once the clouds lift and the sun pokes through, the views from our hill top are so beautiful -

We haven't had much sunshine, most of the time it has been wet, windy and dark, so we haven't done much in the garden. Errrmm, haven't done anything in the garden yet actually. Starting this afternoon though, as it is not raining today. We have just enjoyed being at the cottage, all snug and cosy and cuddly with our doggies, watching an episode or 2 or 20 of The Big Bang Theory and ending up with very sore throats because we have laughed so much. 

Wishing you all a cosy, snuggly day wherever you are. Toodlepip xxx

Simply Neutrals Tuesday - Baby Shoes

I had intended to show you some really gorgeous antique French lace samples which I had bought on the weekend, but I was unpacking yet another box brought back from France earlier today, and came across these darling little 1950s baby shoes. So I changed my mind, lol, and decided to show you the shoes instead -

I remember wearing very similar little shoes when I was about 4 or 5 years old in the late 50s.

You can visit Wen's blog HERE and drool over lots more beautiful neutrals.

Have a great day wherever you are. Toodlepip xxx

Pocket Letters

Until my dear friend Alexandra sent me a pocket letter, I had not idea what they were. When I held it in my hands, I realised why they are so fascinating and so addictive to make. I am sure I am way behind you all and you all know exactly what a pocket letter is, lol, but just in case there is a person out there who doesn't have a clue, this is what it is -

Take a plastic pocket folder with ATC sized pockets. Make 9 ATCs, usually with a particular theme, and stick them in the pockets. Fill the back of the pockets with little bits and pieces, all except for the middle one, where you put a little letter.

This is what Alexandra sent me. Apologies for the bad photos, I really wanted to show her pocket letter at the same time as mine, but it was a really dark afternoon. I'll replace them next time the sun shines :-) -

I was thrilled to bits with it, everything is so beautifully done and of course I love the French theme.

This is was I made for Alexandra in return. It being October, it had to be a Halloween themed pocket letter of course -

I took the photos a while ago, before I put the letter in the middle pocket.

I had so much fun making this pocket letter, I really want to make another one. Or two. Or three, lol. Soon.

Toodlepip xxx

Simply Neutrals Tuesday No. 6 - Night, Night!

Dear Wen is hosting the 6th Simply Neutrals Tuesday today, this is so much fun! I am feeling a wee bit tired, been staying up too late too often, so I thought I go with a Night, Night! theme, lol. I picked a few photos of a pretty Edwardian lady's nightcap and a very pretty frilly and frothy, but much later, lady's bed jacket -

In between all the Etsy stuff, I have also made time for a few crafty things. Tags, of course, like these for customers -

I am also chomping at the bit, wanting to show you the first pocket letter I made, but it hasn't reached its recipient yet, so I can't :-(. Yet. Soon though, hopefully.

Until then, toodlepip xxx

Back in the summer...

gosh, that seems such a long time ago now that the days are so much shorter and it is so much colder. But anyhoo, back in the summer, I was one of the very lucky people who managed to buy one of Vicki's surprise Beachcomber nests. I was thrilled to bits when I received it, and of course I took about a million photographs of it. There is always soooo much to discover on her nests. Every time you look, you find something new. I really don't know how it happened that I am only now getting round to posting the photos. Time always seems to get away from me somehow.  So finally, here they are, the (many) pics of my wonderful, beautiful, much treasured Beachcomber nest - 

So precious! I love my nests.

Toodlepip xxx