New Scarf

I love birds and this crow really captured my imagination. I wanted to make it look like it was swooping around someones neck!

things I drew at school this week

This week my year 11's started their Exam and the theme is 'Similarities and Differences', we set up some beautiful still lives and they did some amazing drawings. I love the way the jewels sparkle in the moss and the chain intertwines the feathers. In these nests are my most beloved jewellery they have not been on my finger long!

Every week all art teachers prepare a pile of 'here's one I made earliers' for their students. I love looking at other art teacher's sketchbooks but they often don't like to show them. It seems so much easier to show large groups of teenagers than even one really nice grown up!

Often the drawings and paintings are done quickly and scruffily in between lessons. So I am being very brave! Here is my Blue Peter style example!

car booty....magpie delights

As I'm sure many of you know every Sunday there is a boot sale on the car park roof at Brighton Marina. For many years it was at Brighton Station and has always been the source of many goodies, including bacon sandwiches and coffee to take the edge off the night before. It's also a great place to bump into many blasts from the past, all old art schoolers apparently love a booty.

It is not always the best place to find a bargain as it is definitely a Brighton favourite and the traders are wise, know their stuff type folks, sometimes they take pity on your empty purse and cave to your pathetic attempts at haggling. An instant that particularly comes to mind is my friend Helen offering a bemused dealer more than he'd originally asked for in a panic to drive a deal home. I am not Kirstie Allsop I do not have a land rover and a suitcase of cash but when like a magpie I see that flash of sparkle and swoop I do take careful note so I can sneakily eBay search it later.

This time I was lucky and after explaining to a delightful chap that I was not a military collector but actually a keen embroiderer he was able to hunt me out the cheapest of these beautiful military cap badges. I have big ideas for these little puppies! And boy do they sparkle!

Perhaps see you there next week!

Coronation Candles - Viva Kate and Will!

For a couple of years now I've been rather fond of old coronation cups and have been picking them up at boot sales for about 50p each, (they've since gone up in price a little but you can still get them fairly cheaply). At my wedding last year I used them on the tables with tea lights in and have been using them at home this way ever since. Although they looked very pretty I have been much admiring those posh tea cups and saucers with proper candles in that you get in those 'lady that lunch' type shops. So i thought right that's it Mellett you can't be a bodger all your life, let's do it! And as if by magic I got a candle making kit from the chiefton of the Mellett clan for Christmas! These are put together by Auntie P and are absolutely beautiful, (what a clever bee she is)- http://www.makingthebest.co.uk/. So here is how to make pretty yummy smelling candles! If you don't want to buy a kit all the stuff is available on it's own from all good craft shops:

Things you need:
dye
scent
parraffin wax
bees wax
wick thread
wick bases (tabs and pins)

Pretty cool hey! What a good gift!

Get a big saucepan and fill it with a third of water, put it on to boil.

Put a smaller saucepan inside, (like when you melt chocolate)

Weigh out 90g of wax to 10g of bees wax.

Cut the wick to just taller than your cup, poke one end through the whole in the little metal wick stand and pinch it shut with some pliers.

 For goodness sake don't use your best pans! I used trashy old ones but nearly used one of Chris's, which would have been a disaster! Melt your wax stirring well. When it's melted add 5g of dye and 5ml of scent.

Pour about 1cm into the bottom of the cups, try not to get it on the sides or all over anything.

Let it set for 10 mins and melt some more wax.

Use any little sticks to hold your wick straight up right, basically just lean the wick on it. Pour more way in until it's about half full. Leave to sit for about an hour. I walked dustin. The chickens got wet.

Poor wet hens!

Now melt more wax, and fill the cups to the top. Leave them to set and scratch all the wax you splilled off the sides of the cup. (don't worry about it no one is perfect and who wants to be a lady that lunches anyway!)

pretty and posh!



silk scarves

Christmas is always busy for me! It inspires me to make more and more and more! Gifts, yummy chutneys, cards, wreaths, garlands, stockings, cushions etc etc etc! This year I painted some Silk Scarves for the mad Bishop sisters, (my ma and aunts). I showed these to my friend Katy Evans, she really liked them and after much nagging on her part she persuaded me to be brave and send them into the new 'Making' magazine. The editor was lovely and invited me to contribute a step by step guide to the magazine.  Inspired by this, my super friend Lee-May Foster of Bonbi Forest and my long suffering husbands techno techno knowledge I'm starting this blog! My aim is to share my projects with others and begin to be braver! Because after all you have to give it a go!